Separated at Birth
by Quatermass
Summary: (Based on my challenge, "Harry Tohsaka") Risei Tohsaka, Rin's twin brother, was abducted from the Tohsakas as a baby to another world and blood adopted into the Potter family. Now, after defeating Voldemort, a weary Harry Potter travels back to the world of his birth, and works to reunite his family. But between Magi politics and the upcoming Holy Grail War, it's going to be tough.
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

My first attempt at a _Fate/Stay Night_ crossover with the Potterverse, I feel, was something of a failure. It was a bit too cracky in some regards, and while I may yet come back to _Perils of Magical Investigative Journalism_ , at the moment, it remains firmly on the backburner. Part of the reason is that most of what I knew of the series came from reading fanfic and Wikis, so it's very much a rough draft. And even when I became proficient in doing _Fate/Zero_ stories (namely my Potterverse crossovers _Ex Umbra in Solem_ and _Gorgon and Thanatos_ , along with my _Thor_ crossover _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_ and my _Final Fantasy IX_ crossover _Kuja von Einzbern_ ), I wanted to come back to _Fate/Stay Night_. And having actually begun to watch the animated adaptations, I feel more confident enough to come back to it. After some stories testing the waters, I decided on this one being the first.

One of the more fascinating characters in the Nasuverse is Medea. I would like to think that, if she had a different chance, she'd be a more heroic character, something I did for _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_. Doing a Harry/Medea story seemed logical, but how to do it? This isn't that uncommon a pairing, with a few stories already present, including (albeit as part of a harem) my own _Perils of Magical Investigative Journalism_.

Interestingly, a lot of ideas came together. I posted a challenge in the forums of DZ2 and whitetigerwolf called _Harry Tohsaka_ , and I realised it meshed well with my Harry/Medea story. While it meant that the initial chapters of the story would be heavy on the lead-up to the Grail War proper, I felt it worked.

A heavy influence on this story, even as it was still just a germ of an idea, was Neoalfa's excellent _Path of the King_ , a Shirou/Medea story. While obviously I don't intend to copy that story, it was a strong influence on how I characterised Medea.

Also, for those wanting to see _Hadrian Kotomine_ published, it will be published once I go over it, and maybe write a few more chapters.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Fate/Stay Night_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Fate/Stay Night_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Medea will use you for potions ingredients…


	2. Prologue: An Archer's Confusion

**PROLOGUE:**

 **AN ARCHER'S CONFUSION**

The Throne of Heroes. An abstract location located apart from known reality. Some thought of it as Valhalla. Others thought of it as something more abstract than a mere afterlife, like a noosphere, brought about by the collective consciousness of life in their need for heroes. Magi have spent centuries debating the true nature of the Throne, but the one thing that could not be disputed was the fact that it existed. The proof occurred every six decades in the Japanese city of Fuyuki, even if that was only known to the secretive Magi.

It held all manner of Heroic Spirits, even those that didn't seem that heroic. After all, one person's hero could be another's villain. And it even included rather unconventional beings to be called 'heroes'. Namely, the Counter-Guardians.

These were entities who had made deals with either the consciousness of Earth, Gaia, or the collective will of humanity, Alaya. Their mission was to stamp out any threats to the safety of the world, no matter what the cost. Many of them were damned souls tricked into Mephistophelean pacts.

One such Counter-Guardian was the entity known as EMIYA. While made of at least two souls with that damned name, the one we are looking at is the man once known as Shirou Emiya. A boy infected by the ideals his adoptive father once possessed, but had discarded to pursue the life of an assassin. That infection proved malignant, having taken root in rich soil, twisting and warping an already distorted, self-sacrificing personality.

He made a career out of being a hero…until circumstances forced him to make a deal with Alaya. It would have been better to make a deal with the Devil. At least the Devil was actually sadistic. But Alaya was utterly impersonal and indifferent to the suffering it caused Shirou. All it wanted was an attack hound it could point at people to kill, and those people would die. This was what his father did in life. So in a perverse manner, Shirou was continuing the family business in what passed for an afterlife.

But he had a potential opportunity to deal with this situation. EMIYA knew that he would be summoned to at least one iteration of the Fifth Holy Grail War, as the Archer Servant of his former friend Rin Tohsaka. If he could, he would take the opportunity to kill his past self before he could make the contract with Alaya. With luck, the time paradox that resulted would erase EMIYA from existence. If not…well, at least he tried.

Suddenly, he felt the pull, and smiled sardonically. He could hear her words as she chanted. " _For the origin, silver and steel. For the cornerstone, gem and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg_. _The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates in the four directions. From the crown, come forth. Trace the three-forked road leading to the kingdom. Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat fivefold, and when each is filled, destroy it_."

 _Well, here goes nothing_ , EMIYA thought. No, Archer. He needed to think of himself as Archer. Emiya was the boy he wanted to destroy, the thoughtless boy who condemned himself to eternal suffering because of his damned ideals. Ideals he had drowned in, and become a monster.

Then, the pull intensified, and the climactic chant began. He felt himself falling through time and relative dimensions in space, while he heard her voice speak…

" _Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!_ "

Everything dissolved into a flare of actinic light…

* * *

…And then, he was in freefall. There was something rather Pythonesque, he reflected, in what was about to happen. While he wanted to wreck people's shit in the Grail War, he didn't want to wreck Rin's house.

He didn't scream…though he was tempted to whoop and holler. Instead, he thought, _Trace On_. His Servant body could withstand the impact, true, but it didn't hurt to be careful when one was falling at terminal velocity. Reinforcement was just an insurance policy more than anything. He looked down, and noticed Tohsaka Manor coming up to meet him like a cream pie to the face in some slapstick routine. Yep, Alaya, along with just about every other fucker with a sliver of omnipotence and a bad sense of humour, had it out for him.

And then, with a great crash, he smashed through the roof of Tohsaka Manor, landing on his face. It didn't really hurt…well, his dignity got a little bruised, but it had suffered worse injuries than that. He'd live…well, at least until the time had come to sodomise causality more than Gáe Bolg did. Speaking of which, he was looking forward to trolling Cú Chulainn this time around. That bastard was going to get it for shoving that damned penis spear(1) into his chest.

He got to his feet, and arranged himself on a nearby lounge, making it seemed like he landed on it. Yes, just like that. Look just the right kind of badass.

Archer frowned when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. This wouldn't be that problematic: he was expecting Rin to make an appearance. But his sharp ears picked up at least one other set of footsteps. And he was certain Rin was living alone at this juncture.

The door burst open, and Rin rushed in. Ah, seeing her was so nostalgic. The dark hair done up in twin ponytails, the aqua eyes…that ridiculously short skirt she wore when not at school…

But she was accompanied by someone else. Not Shirou, and not anyone he was familiar with from that life. In fact, he wasn't sure who the hell this was at all.

For one thing, he wasn't Japanese. He was European, with dark, messy hair, emerald eyes peering out from behind glasses. A lightning bolt-shaped scar zigzagged from beneath his fringe. He appeared to be a few years Rin's senior, maybe in his early twenties even.

And yet, despite the lack of oriental features, there was something about the young man's appearance that seemed very much like Rin's. The shape of the face, the intensity of the expression…and there was the way he kept close to Rin. Not a boyfriend…but a sibling? But Rin didn't have any siblings, barring Sakura, and she had been adopted out to the Matou family.

Then, the next surprise of the evening came. The young man spoke in English, rather than Japanese. "Is this really a Servant?"

"Of course he is. He must be," Rin declared. She then frowned. "But is he a Saber?"

 _No luck there_ , Archer thought. He gave them a wink and a cocky smirk.

"We told you about the clocks, remember?" the young man groaned, palming his face. "But no, once you get it into your head…I thought Hermione was stubborn at times. Have you been taking notes from her?"

"Oh, be quiet for a moment!" Rin snapped. Taking some deep, calming breaths, Rin seemed to resolve herself to make the best of a bad lot. "You there! What class of Servant are you meant to be?"

Archer scoffed. _Never change, Rin_ , he thought with a nostalgic pang in his chest. Out loud, he said, "And what kind of question is that? We've only just met. What an unusual little Master I've been summoned by. Then again, maybe I'm the one who got the short end of the stick."

"Oh great, you summoned the Troll class of Servant," the young man said with a flat look. "Call Zelretch, he's probably missing one of his apprentices."

Archer actually had to stop himself from chuckling. That was pretty funny. Rin, meanwhile, asked, "Are you my Servant? And nobody else's? I'm making sure we understand one another off the bat."

"Sure. But where is the evidence that you are my Master?"

Rin showed off her Command Seals. "Right here. That should be all you need to know."

Archer was about to retort, trolling Rin, before he heard a familiar, and unwelcome, voice intrude. " _Actually, aside from your Command Seals, I can tell that there is a mana flow between you two._ " A hooded, robed shape materialised next to the young man. A very familiar robed shape. "Your Servant is merely being insolent in the name of what he believes is humour. I don't know whether to applaud or rebuke him," purred the sultry voice of a too-familiar witch.

"Caster, poke not the Tsundere Missile, for it may go off in our faces," the young man sighed quietly.

 _Oh shit, oh shit, OH FUCK, what is_ _ **SHE**_ _doing here?!_ Archer yelled within the confines of his skull. He fought to keep as much surprise as possible off his face, only allowing the bare minimum to show. The sort of surprise at having another Servant present. "And what is another Servant doing here?" he asked, trying to keep as calm as he could. With mixed success. He wasn't actually scared of this witch, he could deal with her easily enough if he wanted to, but her being here presented a variable he hadn't accounted for, more so than this young man being here. He hadn't been in this time for five minutes, and already he was lost.

Was Rin under that witch's control? Was this young man controlling her through Caster?

"She's my brother's Servant. Well, she is now," Rin said. "Caster was summoned by another Magus, but they had…a falling out. Not that I'm happy allowing a stray in the house after betraying her Master, but..."

"You weren't complaining when I gave you pointers on working on that Mystic Code for that Dead Apostle with the appalling sense of humour," Caster remarked. "Or enhanced those faded Bounded Fields around your home. And I'm still formulating that ritual for those vile things in your sister."

The young man sighed. "Caster, Sis, play nice." He looked over at Archer, his emerald eyes meeting Archer's silver ones. Archer was struck by how much those emerald-coloured eyes reminded him of Saber's, of Arturia Pendragon, the young woman known to history as King Arthur. The love he had lost. Not quite the look of a king, but certainly the look of a seasoned warrior, and too young too. "My twin sister and I have an alliance, at least until the final stage of the Grail War."

"Your _twin_ sister? You don't look that much alike. You look Caucasian, and she looks Japanese. Not to mention she looks younger than you," Archer said.

"It's a very long story involving a kidnapping and a blood adoption in another world," the young man said. "Time flows between different universes are weird. I'm twenty, Rin's seventeen. All of which meant that she got the Magic Crest. I don't mind."

"Because you've got that stupid magic from that other world," Rin retorted. "That is so unfair."

"Should I get some popcorn?" Caster asked. "I get a craving for some while watching you two bicker. I wish we had that back in my time. You argue like an old married couple, only with the additional frisson of incest involved. Though given the blood adoption procedure, you're technically half-siblings now…"

"Caster. TMI," the young man said.

Archer looked askance at Rin. "And you trust your brother to fight alongside you, even though he is also an enemy Master?"

"He even signed a geas contract to that effect," Rin declared. "We both did. Until our Servants are the last ones standing, we cannot attack one another. We modified it so that we are in a coma for a month and we forfeit our privileges as Masters rather than losing our magic or our lives, but still…"

Archer wondered whether that was prudent or stupid. Still, two Masters and two Servants working together were better than one, though he had to wonder how trustworthy Caster was, given his prior experience.

The witch in question strutted over, and examined him critically, her eyes glinting out from beneath her hood. "Hmm…well, at least you're not my first husband. Alliance or not, I would have ended your existence forthwith if you were. You don't look like anyone I know either. Since there are only three classes left to draw, you're either a Saber, an Assassin, or an Archer. So, please answer Rin's question. Which class are you?"

"If you must know, I am an Archer. Though I have some tricks up my sleeve."

"I'm sure you do. I'd be interested to see them," Caster said with a smile.

Archer looked at the three of them. If it had only been Rin, he might have engaged in some ribbing, push her buttons and stoke her temper, make her remember how inexperienced she truly was. However, he didn't know how Caster or her Master would react, at least if he pushed her too far. With a weary sigh, he stood up. "Well, it seems like I am stuck with you, my Master. However, keep in mind that I will take the lead when it comes to tactics. Try not to get yourself killed."

"We watch each other's backs," the young man said. "Besides, magical tournament with possibly lethal consequences? Yeah, I've been there before. Not this Holy Grail War BS where we battle to the death for an overrated cup. But I've been there before. And in war."

He meant it. There was no lie in the boy's sardonic admission. Archer found himself feeling a little sorry. Another person who saw hell too young. "Incidentally, I'm curious. We Servants must conceal our name to conceal our weaknesses, but Masters are another matter. What's your name?"

"Harry. I thought my last name was Potter, but it was really Tohsaka. As I said, and hard though it is to believe, I'm Rin's brother…"

 **PROLOGUE ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Harry's the brother of Rin Tohsaka, believe it or not, and he's the Master of Medea. Now, for the next few chapters, we'll have how Harry ended up at this point. In fairly abbreviated form, anyway.**

 **1\. This is a reference to the _Hellsing_ crossover _Hey Kids, Wanna See a Dead Body?_ by Silver W King, which has the Alucard from _Hellsing Ultimate Abridged_ summoned by Medea. He keeps on making obvious jokes about Cú Chulainn's spear. I wholeheartedly recommend it, even if it's short and, sadly, probably abandoned**.


	3. Chapter 1: Reunion

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **REUNION**

 _About a year ago_ …

A young European man, maybe eighteen or nineteen, walked down the street in Fuyuki one cold Saturday. Beyond his apparently being a foreigner, there wasn't much remarkable about him. He was somewhat scrawny, with a shaggy mop of untameable black hair, from underneath a lightning-like scar snaked out, scarring his forehead.

Not for the first time, he cursed the spite of one man who had exposed a secret he hadn't known about, one that had severed ties that were already tenuous. At least one friendship had been thoughtlessly broken off before it could begin anew, the press, having lauded him as their saviour, had once more turned on him (big surprise there). And it was only through the friends that remained that he even had a chance to start anew.

He used to call himself Harry Potter. But thanks to that bastard Snape, he didn't even have that. His birth name was Risei Tohsaka(1). He was born Japanese, from another world. And as he found out from the letter Snape had published in _The Daily Prophet_. Well, it was a rather extended epistle. Whatever small goodwill Snape had garnered from Harry for his sacrifice and for showing him his love for Lily had been wiped away. Snape had probably known it would only come out after his death: his letter opened with Captain Ahab's dying words as he harpoons Moby Dick. _From hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee_.

Snape was no hero. He was just a spiteful man filled with self-interest, dying only because he hoped to take down Voldemort and Harry with him. And as he knew Harry had a chance of surviving due to that damned harebrained plan of Dumbledore, he set up this letter. He exposed a lot of Dumbledore's dirty laundry, stuff that even Rita Skeeter hadn't found out about for her sensationalist biography. Including Harry's true origins.

Apparently James had been sterile for some time, ever since a curse from Snape hit him. Concerned, Dumbledore decided to take matters into his own hands. Lily, at his behest, had faked a pregnancy, and he had found, it was claimed, an orphaned baby boy, one that they used a Blood Adoption ritual on. Snape later learned from Dumbledore (as late as Harry's Second Year) that Dumbledore had used a ritual and his Phoenix Fawkes to claim a child, one from another world. One with the magical potential to vanquish Voldemort. Someone Dumbledore could make into his protégé. Or puppet.

Harry hadn't been inclined to believe the words coming from Snape's poison pen at first, but too many were. There had been a lot of chaos, not least because Snape had exposed Voldemort's true heritage as a Halfblood too. Apparently Sirius and Remus had known, as Harry found out when he went back and found the Resurrection Stone to ask them, but they had been subject to Memory Charms from Dumbledore. Which meant the Blood Wards did sod all. Dumbledore had lied to justify Harry staying at the Dursleys.

For final confirmation, Harry went to Gringotts. The Goblins had fined him much of his money in response to that saga, and had only refrained from taking the rest of it because Harry explained about the Horcrux. Still, relations between Harry and the Goblins were fraught, and they had charged him far more than usual to do the inheritance test.

And there it was, the undeniable truth. Harry's birth name was Risei Tohsaka, blood adopted by the Potters. What was more, Snape's words of Harry coming from another world meant that he needed to find a way to get to that world. He had sacrificed so much to save this damned country from Voldemort, and for what? Ginny had, after some thoughts of getting back together, broken off with him in a thoughtless act, thinking he had lied to her. Ron had taken Harry's side, albeit for the reason that Snape was a spiteful bastard (though Ron's words were far stronger, to Molly's annoyance), though his relationship with Hermione broke down for unrelated purposes. Molly, thankfully, had been a comfort to Harry.

Into this appalling situation came an unlikely saviour. Luna Lovegood.

Luna Lovegood was, admittedly, a rather strange girl, but they began to realise she was very strange indeed. It became even more apparent when they met a man she called a grandfather, a tall, powerfully-built man by the name of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, better known and cursed as Zelretch. Despite looking old, he had a vitality beyond his age and an impish sense of humour that clicked with George Weasley.

Oh, and he was a centuries-old vampire from another world.

Zelretch came from a world where magic, while hidden, was different in many regards. It was more rigidly structured in many regards, and its study was, much to Hermione's delight, more 'scientific', if such a word could be applied to magic, or rather, magecraft. Having heard of Harry's plight during a rare visit to Luna, he wanted to meet Harry. After all, he had connections with the Tohsaka family, with Harry's ancestor Nagato being one of Zelretch's most famous apprentices (and one of the few he hadn't broken). And Harry was pleased to learn that the sisters the inheritance test had indicated were still alive. Rin, and Sakura, though his birth parents were dead. Oh, and time passed weirdly between the two worlds: Harry was nineteen, but his twin sister was now sixteen.

It was months of preparation before Harry, along with his friends, took Zelretch up on his offer to shift to another world. Part of it was Hermione retrieving her parents and dealing with the fallout after restoring their memories. They reconciled, but relations were fraught for a time. There was also education in magecraft and the nature of the new world they were going to head to. The Lovegoods, Harry, the Grangers, George Weasley, Andromeda Tonks and Teddy Lupin. Outcasts and the broken. They left Magical Britain, though not before Harry left a letter of his own to be published in _The Daily Prophet_. It ended with Harry telling them that, if another Dark Lord arose, then they could save themselves. Fawkes had come with them, the Phoenix apparently wishing to make up for his crime in kidnapping Harry in the first place by becoming his familiar.

This world was, if anything, even harsher than the one he left behind. Older magic families held sway again, though at least this time, there was some small justification. Older families had more of a connection to magic. Magecraft was developed through research. And, ironically, the more people who could use it, the less effective it was, partly thanks to Gaia, the consciousness of the world. Not that it affected magic from his former world, but Harry found himself able to use both, amazingly, something only the others could only match with difficulty and transplanted magic circuits.

Okay, learning magecraft was hard as hell, and having to shift gears from what he thought of as magic to a different form was jarring. But he managed to cram the basics in. He was appalled at the amoral attitude of many Magi, and he knew that Clock Tower was not for him. Hermione became the research assistant to Waver Velvet, Lord El-Melloi II, a young man of considerable note, and one of the few higher-ups in Clock Tower without a major stick up his arse. George became Zelretch's protégé, not in magic, but in pranking, though Luna became an apprentice for magic.

But Harry wanted to reconnect with his family. And after learning the translation charms needed to speak Japanese, as well as material needed for him to learn the language properly, he set out for Japan, and to Fuyuki. Beforehand, Zelretch engaged with Rin in correspondence, letting her know about her long lost relative. She was sceptical for various reasons (not least of which was Zelretch's reputation for being a troll), but eventually agreed to see him.

There was a possible reason for her recalcitrance, Harry knew. Magi's magic research was engraved within the magic circuits within their body, as a semi-biological component. This could be transplanted upon death into a relative or even an heir not of their blood. These were known as Magic Crests, and were valuable beyond belief. As they could only be granted to a single heir, multiple children could lead to an inheritance dispute. Well, unless you had the Ore Scales sorcery trait of the Edelfelt family. Rin may have been worried that, as priority was given to male heirs normally, and Harry was, despite being her twin, technically older.

It was why his youngest sister, Sakura, had been adopted out. Apparently she was now the heiress to the Matou family, formerly the Makiris of Russia. He thought that rather callous, but Zelretch had sadly relayed to him that this was not uncommon, and the Matous were lately producing the Magi equivalent of Squibs.

As his thoughts came to an end, so did his journey. He found himself in front of an old, dilapidated estate. Grand, yes, but with ivy crawling all over the house, and the gardens unkempt, it was clear its glory days were past. Still, there was an intercom next to the gate, and he pressed the button. After a moment, the speaker crackled, and he was greeted in Japanese.

In English, he asked, "Rin Tohsaka?"

" _Yes? Who is this?_ " the girl replied in quite good English.

"It's Harry. Zelretch mentioned I was coming here."

After a moment, he heard her reply, her voice filled with irritation and wariness, " _Come in. But no funny stuff._ "

* * *

He was greeted at the door by a suspicious Rin. It was startling how much he resembled her, her oriental features notwithstanding. True, her eyes were more aqua, and her hair wasn't as messy, but the shape of the face and the colour of the hair were similar. She wore a red shirt with a white cross-like symbol stitched into it, and a black skirt that was rather scandalously short. A silence fell, before Harry said, rather awkwardly, "Hi."

"Hello," Rin said stiffly, shaking his proffered hand warily after he entered. "You're the one who is supposed to be my twin brother."

"If it makes you feel any better, it was very much a surprise to me too," Harry said.

"It doesn't. I wouldn't have even given it credit if it weren't for Zelretch, and even then, that damned Dead Apostle is infamous for his practical jokes," Rin said. "Which is why I have prepared a certain ritual in advance. It allows me to determine whether you are my brother or not, as well as whether you are a Homunculus. More than a few Magi family have fallen prey to a lost heir turning out to be a Homunculus, planted by another family. The von Einzberns did that more than once."

Ah, yes. The von Einzberns. Zelretch gave him a crash course on Fuyuki, and the event it was most famous for, the Holy Grail War. An event that was founded not only by Zelretch himself, but by three prominent Magus families: the von Einzberns, the Tohsakas, and the Matous, back when they were the Makiris. He found that hard to believe, what happened in these bloody tournaments, but he was glad he probably wouldn't have to see it: they only occurred every sixty years, and the last one was nine years ago.

"Well, would it make you feel any better if I said I had no desire for the Magic Crest?"

"No."

"…What about if I brought along some money, tomes, and magical artifacts…sorry, you call them Mystic Codes, don't you? Jeez, I keep messing up with the terminology."

"…Did you happen to bring any jewels?" Rin asked, her attitude going from suspicious to tentatively hopeful.

Harry grinned. Zelretch had mentioned that the Tohsakas had an affinity with Jewelcraft, infusing jewels with magical properties. He pulled out of his pocket his shrunken trunk, and placed it on the floor, unshrinking it. He touched a special switch, then opened up the trunk, revealing the compartment that held the precious jewels he had taken from the Potter vault. Her eyes glittered with avarice, not for their monetary worth, but something else. She walked over, and gently scooped out a few. "These are of excellent quality. They are perfect for Jewelcraft. Do you know how to use that?"

"Only what Zelretch managed to teach me, based on our ancestor's notes," Harry said. "I've managed some of the basics, but I've only been doing this for a few weeks." He pulled out a bag in the same compartment, sitting on top of the jewels, and tipped out about half a dozen jewels, and handed them to Rin.

She examined them critically, and remarked, "Sloppy. Not bad, but sloppy work. Then again, for someone who has been doing it for only a few weeks, I'm actually impressed. If you really were raised on another world using another form of magic, then this is surprisingly good."

"Thank you," Harry remarked, a little acidly at her blunt assessment. "So…this ritual?"

"Oh, yes. Right. Come with me, please."

As they walked through the house, Harry said, "Your English is very good."

"Thank you. Between our high school English teacher and tuition from my guardian, I'd like to think I'm rather good at it. I speak German as well: I use it for my incantations."

"Yeah, your guardian. Where are they, anyway?" Harry asked.

Rin scowled. "He's at the church he runs. Kirei Kotomine. A priest and a Magus. I don't think you'll like him, though."

"And Sakura?"

"…That's complicated," Rin said after a brief pause. "My father told me to treat her like she is a Matou now, before he died. And I think Zouken told her to treat me the same way. We're on good enough terms, but we haven't called each other sister for years now. It's for the best."

"Bollocks," Harry said succinctly. "I came here to meet my family, and that's what I'm going to do. Anyway, let's get on with this ritual first. Just leave me enough blood to write my will with, okay?"

"Ha ha," Rin said flatly.

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry has met his twin sister. Now, events will skip around a little until the events of** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **. You have been warned.**

 **1\. Thinking of a Japanese name for Harry was actually a little tough to decide. But given the respect Tokiomi shows Risei Kotomine, even treating him like a surrogate father or grandfather in some regards, it would not be out of the question, I think, for Tokiomi to name his first son after him.**


	4. Chapter 2: Getting to Know You

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **GETTING TO KNOW YOU**

The ritual went off with virtually no hitch. Rin got proof that Harry was a sibling, or at least close enough to be considered one, and he wasn't a Homunculus. Rin still seemed a little wary of him, but then again, so was Harry. Rin was a Magus, after all, and Magi were noted for their amoral natures. She also finally managed to find, albeit after significant searching, proof of Risei Tohsaka's existence: a birth certificate hidden in a special magical safe.

Rin reluctantly allowed Harry to stay, as long as he paid rent. As Harry had taken virtually all of his vault's contents (causing some small but significant disruption of Magical Britain's economy in the process, much to the perverse delight of the Goblins), he had plenty of money, though he had had to exchange the galleons for bars of bullion, which he exchanged with Zelretch's help for money here in this world. While Rin wasn't exactly swimming in money, she wasn't anywhere near poor either: she gained quite a significant income from patents owned by the Tohsakas, both magical and mundane. However, she would later reveal that her guardian had lost her many of the estates that had originally belonged to the Tohsakas. Then again, with Rin the only surviving Tohsaka at the time (with Harry on another world and Sakura considered a Matou), a lot of people to whom the Tohsakas owed debts came crawling out of the woodwork to exploit the situation, as Rin was not yet as respected as Tokiomi had been.

A lot of Rin's monies that wasn't set aside for normal expenses went towards purchasing jewels for use in her Jewelcraft. As jewels of various kinds were regulated to avoid stockpiling, Rin had to buy many of them through unconventional channels. She had, reluctantly, dealings with one of the local Yakuza clans, the Fujimura clan. Ironically, their leader, Raiga, had a granddaughter who was Rin's English teacher. Taiga was an enthusiastic and well-loved teacher, but she was also known for being an eccentric mooch who frequently bummed meals from a student to whom she was the guardian of. Rin really only knew this because Sakura had a thing for said student: Shirou Emiya. In any case, Harry's supply of jewels, coupled with him paying rent, meant that Rin's financial situation, while not remotely dire, was looking up.

Of course, that was really only a mild bump on the road. When Harry revealed his magic, Rin was utterly shocked…and jealous. Like Zelretch had warned him, Rin had complained about Harry's magic being 'right out of the Age of the Gods', meaning centuries or millennia BC. That took a lot of explaining to do, and thankfully, Harry had brought along spellbooks to soothe Rin's raging curiosity, which was like Hermione's turned up to eleven. In fact, Rin seemed to view it as an affront whenever she encountered something she didn't know, especially if it roused her interest.

In a way, this arousal of Rin's envy also inflamed her competitive streak. But when she demanded more information from Harry about his magic, he told her about his life that Saturday night. And that helped put things into perspective for his twin.

He told her of how his adoptive parents sacrificed their lives to save him, how Voldemort was vanquished. He told her of the Dursleys, of the Hogwarts letters. He summarised his time at Hogwarts as best as he could. He told her of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, of how Voldemort came back from the dead and took over Britain…and how Harry defeated him.

* * *

Rin pinched the bridge of her nose after she heard the tale. "By the Root, that's…well, it sounds more like a series of kid's books with a dark twist than a real life."

"It happened to me."

"Look, I'm not doubting you, okay?" Rin said, waving a hand. "I've seen you pull off feats of magic that shouldn't be possible nowadays. You turned my lounge into a damned pig, of all things! But it's weird hearing it. So, basically, you got sick of being a hero to those ingrates?"

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I will be a hero if need be. But I've done enough for Magical Britain. How many times I've nearly died and come back…I've brushed with Death so many times, I should give him high-fives every time I pass(1)."

"That's no laughing matter. Magi have to be willing to walk hand-in-hand with death when they practise magecraft. Still, I can understand why you came here, and not just to catch up with family." Rin looked at her teacup, with her having made cups of tea for herself and her brother. "Heroes don't have a long life in the real world."

"Speaking of heroes…Zelretch said something about them being summoned in some big contest called the Holy Grail War here," Harry said.

"Oh, that. Yes. I probably won't be participating in it unless I'm lucky," Rin said. "There's still fifty years to go before the next one."

"Yeah, but what's it all about? I mean, I've fought in one magical tournament, and…"

"That Tri-Wizard Tournament, from what you said, is tame by comparison," Rin declared. "I guess, though, if you're part of the family…well, it might be your children I give my Magic Crest to. And it's your job to educate them. Well, where to begin? Nearly two hundred years ago, the von Einzberns of Germany approached us and the Makiris. You see, they wished to find a way to re-attain their lost magic."

"Zelretch told me that much, or at least he mentioned something about the von Einzberns wanting to rediscover the Third True Magic, something called Heaven's Feel."

"Right," Rin nodded. "As you know, Zelretch is one of the few possessors of a True Magic nowadays: Kaleidoscope, the ability to view and travel to parallel universes. The von Einzberns possessed Heaven's Feel long ago, but lost it. It's something to do with the materialisation of the soul, allowing for, amongst other things, the potential to make an entity immortal without complications. The Tohsakas and the Matous were more focused on winning the Grail, and the power of a single all-powerful wish within it. Our family provided the battlefield for the Grail Wars, Fuyuki, long before it became a city, as we are the Second Owners, the magical caretakers. The von Einzberns provided the Grail itself, as well as the mechanism for a limited form of Heaven's Feel. The Makiris provided the Servant system and the Command Seals. However, there was a dispute, and this dispute became an integral part. For you see, you need a lot of power to prime the Grail. Hence the need for Heroic Spirits."

"Sounds like an excuse for a bloodsport, if you ask me," Harry remarked.

"You're looking at it from an outsider's perspective, which is understandable," Rin said, albeit with a slightly condescending edge. Well, at least she was better than Malfoy, not to mention half of Slytherin. While she had a haughty and superior attitude that rubbed him the wrong way somewhat, she nonetheless seemed genuinely concerned about him once he revealed his past. "There are other factors involved, but I'm not aware of them. The upshot is, in the years leading up to a Grail War, the Grail sends out Command Seals to powerful Magi, though on occasion, if you do the ritual at the right time, you can claim a spot yourself. When the Grail is active, you can summon a Heroic Spirit, a hero from myth or history. The Grail acts as a catalyst, and you provide the mana."

"And hey presto, you summon up a Heroic Spirit," Harry said.

"Yes. They become your familiar, known as a Servant. They fall under one of seven classes. Sabers are swordfighters of extreme skill. Lancers are the fastest class, fighting with polearms from just out of arm's reach. Archers are masters of long-ranged weaponry, from bows to guns. Riders are known for mounts or vehicles. Berserkers trade their sanity for strength and tenacity. Assassins are masters of stealth, killing silently from the shadows. And Casters are the powerful Magi of the Grail War, masters of magecraft, weak in open combat, but powerful in their own territories. My father summoned an Archer Servant in the last Grail War, though I don't know their identity. In fact, keeping their identities secret is vital, as if their identities are known, so are their strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses."

"Like, say, if Samson was summoned, we could just cut his hair?" Harry asked.

"A bit like that, yes," Rin said. "Though it's more involved. I don't know the identities of the Servants in the last Grail War, just most of the Masters. My father was the Master of Archer. My Uncle Kariya represented the Matous as Master of Berserker, though…he killed our father and left my mother with brain damage after strangling her in a fit of rage. I don't know why, he was so nice to my mother and I. And Sakura, of course. Maybe that's why he worked for the Matous, to try and bring Sakura back. He actually saved my life, Mother told me, from Caster's Master, a serial killer called Ryuunosuke Uryu, so I just think the strain was too much for him. I'm still angry at him for what he did…but I can't forget my Uncle Kariya." A sad look on her face was soon banished as she continued her lecture. "Representing the von Einzberns was Kiritsugu Emiya, the Master of Saber."

"Kiritsugu Emiya…wait, Zelretch told me a bit about that guy. Actually, so did Waver. He told me he was Master of Rider in the last Grail War."

"Waver…you mean Lord El-Melloi II?"

"Yeah. I mean, he told me only a little about that whole mess, just that, of all things, his Rider was Alexander the Great, only he called himself Iskandar. Oh, and he hates being addressed as Lord El-Melloi. Actually, he said his teacher, the previous Lord El-Melloi, Kayneth Archibald, was the Master of Lancer. Anyway, Emiya…wasn't he known as the Magus Killer? An infamous assassin who worked unofficially for Clock Tower?"

Rin nodded. "Yes. I thought Shirou may have been his son, but he looks nothing like Kiritsugu Emiya. I can't rule out an adoption, though. And we've named all the Masters but one. Kirei Kotomine was Master of Assassin during the last Grail War, but his Servant was the first to die. He was working with my father. Father appointed him my guardian shortly before he died. He hasn't done that great a job. He's a good magecraft teacher, but he's also a major pain in the arse."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. Of course, nobody knows what really happened at the end of the Grail War, the last one I mean. Kirei claimed that one of the Masters attacked the Grail, destroying it. That's what caused the Fuyuki Fire, which killed hundreds and left many in hospital or homeless."

"Jeez. Well, hopefully, we won't have to deal with that again."

In hindsight, Harry felt like kicking his past self for saying such a thing. You know, daring the universe to prove him wrong.

"Well, as much as I'd appreciate the extra money from rent, what are you going to do for work?" Rin asked.

"Well, while I don't need to work, I still intend to. Zelretch said there was an opening at the library at your school, Homurahara High School. I've been cramming the knowledge needed, and Zelretch provided the paperwork. I could do teaching, I have the experience, but I don't have the qualifications, and you need less for library work. They've arranged an interview for Monday morning."

Rin chuckled. "Must be nice to have friends in high places…"

* * *

Harry peered at the family photo. It was one of the few in the house that had all four of the Tohsakas together, presumably taken shortly before Sakura was adopted out. Rin was easy to spot: she hadn't changed hairstyles since the photo was taken, the twin ponytails. Sakura had a short bob of hair framing gentle, demure features.

It was clear which parent they took after more. Tokiomi was a handsome man with short dark hair and a neatly-trimmed goatee, his posture dignified and proud. Aoi was a quieter, passive-looking woman with long hair. Rin seemed to take after her father a bit more, while Sakura was like a miniature version of her mother.

Harry could see some of Tokiomi's features in his own, once you disregarded the difference in ethnicity. But he had to wonder, inheritance issues aside, why the hell did he willingly sunder this happy family? And why the fuck was Rin okay with it? Was it just this mindset Magi possessed? Her words suggested that she cared about Sakura, she just couldn't bring herself to express it normally, to even admit that they were sisters.

He had to wonder, what would have happened had he not been kidnapped? Would Rin have been adopted out? Would he have been forced to forswear their relationship, the ties of blood? He would have liked to have thought otherwise…but he couldn't know for sure. Still, he was here, and he was going to help mend their relationship, by hook or by crook. He didn't have one sister, _he had two_. And he'd be damned if they had to stay apart because of Magi politics…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Ooh, Harry's on the warpath. But can he get Rin and Sakura to reconcile? Who knows…**

 **1\. Gordon Freeman says this at the end of Episode 22 of the excellent** ** _Half-Life_** **parody series** ** _Freeman's Mind_** **.**


	5. Chapter 3: Sakura and Shirou

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **SAKURA AND SHIROU**

The interview went fairly well, and by the end of the week, Harry had been hired. He was glad for Hermione's help in learning the Nippon Decimal Classification. He was more used to the Dewey Decimal Classification. The previous librarian had disappeared while out on a walk outside the city, and someone else had been filling in on an ad hoc basis.

He was introduced to the various staff members at the school. Of these, the only ones who stood out were Taiga Fujimura, whom Rin had spoken of already, and a rather grim-looking man by the name of Souichirou Kuzuki. Taiga was obvious: the brown-haired woman was energetic and eccentric. The fact that she spoke excellent English didn't hurt either, and the two held some interesting conversations. Harry found himself liking her, even if some of her tendencies were a bit irritating.

Kuzuki was another matter entirely. The reason why Harry noted him was that the grim history teacher set his instincts screaming. The man seemed to be a robot, moving precisely and with complete discipline. He almost had no other expression than a faint scowl, not of contempt or anger, but simply as if that was his basic state. The scowl had no real emotion behind it, just something like an extreme discipline, as if living was an effort. And Kuzuki seemed to mark Harry for some reason.

By the time Harry had gotten the job, he and Rin had gotten a little more used to each other. Rin was delighted to hear that Harry could cook, and cook well, and so had him cook some meals. While he hadn't cooked Japanese food (the Dursleys wouldn't have touched, in their words, 'fancy foreign muck'), Rin seemed fine. Rin could cook to a degree, and cook fairly well, but not as well as Harry. Harry offered to teach her, and she accepted.

Harry realised fairly shortly that Rin, despite her pretentions to be a proper Magus, wasn't anywhere near as amoral. Despite her protestations, she actually cared about others too much. True, she still kept her distance from those without magic (though she thought the term 'Muggle' was stupid and sounded vaguely derogatory), and her relationship with Sakura was more distant than it should have been, but still, she denied vehemently wanting to cause any death in pursuit of her work. And she was utterly fascinated by the tomes and books he had brought over from his world, even if she couldn't make much use of them.

She also met Fawkes for the first time, and was awestruck that Harry had a Phoenix bound to him as a familiar. As Phoenixes were Phantasmal Beasts in this world, she agreed to keep his existence secret…in exchange for doing as much research as she could into Fawkes without, well, killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Even if Fawkes was more of a fried turkey. Fawkes' reaction to Rin cemented Harry's impression that Rin, while trying to be a cold Magus in attitude, was fundamentally a decent person.

When he brought out the Pensieve, she was really amazed, and they soon found out that this was one of the few magical things that could be used in both worlds. Indeed, the Pensieve seemed to be one of the few things that didn't get Gaia's attention.

The first time Harry met his youngest sister was, understandably, in the library. She came in during the lunch break on his first day. Harry found himself drawn to her. Gentle, sorrowful features were framed by bluish-purple hair. Of course, actually talking to her and telling her that he was her big brother was another matter.

He went by Harry Potter officially, lest using the surname of Tohsaka raise eyebrows. After all, he looked European, not Japanese. However, he did have a cover story ready, in case people wondered why he was staying with Rin, something he had already told Taiga: he was a distant relative of the Tohsakas and the Matous, albeit from Europe. This actually wasn't wholly out of the question, as the Tohsakas did have some European ancestry in the mix. In fact, it was rumoured that one of the Edelfelt Masters in the Third Holy Grail War back in the 1930s (in this world, the year was 2003) married the Tohsaka Master at the time, though this was rather hard to discern, and there had certainly been a rivalry if not an outright feud between the Tohsakas and the Edelfelts (who hailed from Finland) ever since(1). And the Matous, as the Makiris, originally came from Russia. He claimed he was related to the Tohsakas on his father's side, and the Makiris on his mother's.

Rin had, in addition to discussing her sister and Shirou Emiya, told Harry about other students of note. In her year, there was Shinji Matou, the Magus equivalent of a Squib, a blue-haired Casanova-wannabe who, while he had oodles of superficial charm, rubbed Rin the wrong way. There was also some archery club members that Harry didn't really remember, as well as some boy who wanted to be a Buddhist monk, just like his father, called Issei Ryuudou.

Anyway, here was Sakura, his youngest sister. He wanted nothing more than to speak to her, reach out to her. There was something of her that reminded him of himself, and of Neville. A downtrodden nature.

Eventually, Sakura came over to him with some books. Horror books, he noted. "Would you like to borrow these?" he asked in Japanese.

She nodded nervously. "Are you the new librarian?"

"Yeah. Harry Potter, nice to meet you."

"Umm, I'm Sakura Matou. Likewise," Sakura said, returning his smile rather shakily.

"Rather strong stuff for a girl your age," Harry said, noting that they seemed to be a mix of Eastern and Western horror novels.

"I'm used to it," Sakura said. "I like scary books."

"Hey, I do too, but, well, you didn't seem like the type. Hope you enjoy them anyway, Sakura."

She nodded, and left. And Harry wondered how he was going to break it to her who he was…

* * *

As it happened, Rin took the initiative, leaving a note for Sakura that had the girl coming to the library a few days later. She invited him to come with her to the house of a friend of hers…namely Shirou Emiya. Taiga would be coming along to chaperone. Taiga found the whole thing heartwarming, and found it lovely how Harry was reconnecting with who she thought was distant family.

The house, while not as large as that of the Tohsakas, was still fairly large by Japanese standards. And Taiga all but barged in, demanding food from the sole resident. And that was when Harry met Shirou Emiya…

* * *

The boy was not that impressive physically. He was rather slight, albeit with red hair and hazel eyes that were unusual in a Japanese. He had an earnest nature, an eager one, though he greeted Harry politely. Harry realised he had met the boy a couple of times previously, albeit in passing.

Harry suggested that he cook for once, and Shirou and Sakura, after a moment's hesitation, let him get to it. As he cooked, Shirou asked, "Mr Potter…why did you come to Japan looking for work?"

"Long story short, I burned my bridges in England," Harry said. "A lot of people had been telling me lies, and I found out I had family here. Distant family, but, well, my father is distantly related to Rin Tohsaka, while my mother was related to the Makiris, the Russian family that became the Matous. I approached Rin first. We have areas of mutual interest, and allowed me to stay at her place. Plus, I've always had an interest in the supernatural and the unexplained, and I wanted to do some research for a book about the various events that happened nine years ago."

"Do you mean the Fuyuki Fire?" Shirou asked.

"Yeah. Although there was also a serial killer running around at the time, and a bunch of terrorist attacks," Harry said. "Not to mention some weird monster movie filming that went on."

"Hey, yeah, I was around at that time," Taiga said. "There was this weird pair I ran into, some whiny British kid called Waver, and some burly red-haired guy who called himself Iskandar."

Harry had to hide his reaction. Taiga had run into Waver and Rider? "I've met Waver Velvet. He's now an academic in England, he helped me track down my family."

"Oh?" Taiga asked. "Anyway, Shirou here was rescued from the Fuyuki Fire by Kiritsugu, who adopted him."

"He saved my life," Shirou said. "He…never looked so happy as he did when it happened."

"Shirou wants to be a Hero of Justice," Taiga declared.

At this, Harry scoffed quietly. "A Hero of Justice, huh?"

"What's so funny about that?" Shirou asked, a little affronted.

"I never said it was funny. Being a hero isn't funny. Far from it. Unless you like shitty endings. Don't get me wrong, helping people isn't wrong. But being a hero isn't a job. It can be a chore, though. And that's if you're lucky."

Taiga peered at him. "You sound like you speak from experience."

"Let's just say that I had a terrorist after me and my friends for most of what was laughingly called a childhood after he murdered my parents," Harry said. "I've had my fill of adventures…"

* * *

Harry was glad he cooked, at Shirou and Sakura's suggestion, extra portions. Taiga was a glutton, shamelessly asking for seconds. Although to be fair, while her swift style of eating reminded him too much of the Dursleys, she seemed to at least appreciate his efforts, unlike that menagerie he laughingly called relatives.

The reason why Sakura suggested that Harry come along was that she was sleeping over at Shirou's place, and Taiga was doing the same thing. While Shirou distracted Taiga, Sakura could talk to Harry in private. So, while Shirou and his guardian discussed something, Harry was talking to Sakura in another room.

"Rin sent me a note, telling me about…you," she said uncertainly.

"That I'm your older brother?" Harry asked.

Sakura nodded, and showed him the note, which he read. "It seems so fantastic…this is the first time Rin's really contacted me as a sister since I became a Matou. Every time we meet, I am just her junior at school. I had thought…"

"Hey, hey, none of that. As far as I am concerned, I'm your big brother. I know we've only just met, but you're family to me just as much as Rin is. And quite frankly, Tokiomi was an arsehole for adopting you out, Magi inheritance rules bullshit or not. And I'd rather have you two back together, even if you have to live apart. Rin still cares about you, she's just having to think of you as a Matou, and not a Tohsaka."

"And is it true that you came from another world?" Sakura asked, curious.

"I grew up there, yes," Harry said. "That terrorist I mentioned was an evil wizard. The idiots there thought I was their messiah…or just a naughty boy. They couldn't make up their minds. And when I finally killed him, they turned on me. That's why I was a bit derisive towards Shirou. Being a hero isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

Sakura nodded, and there was something in her expression that had Harry believing she had some experience with that. Maybe Kariya? So, he changed the subject. "By the way, do you know whether Shirou is a Magus or not?"

"Shirou? Umm, I'm not sure. He likes working on things in a shed, I often find him there, and I think he can use basic magecraft. Structural Analysis and Reinforcement. I don't know for sure, and I didn't think it polite to bring it up. Magecraft is not something you can just expose to the world, you know. But his father was the Magus Killer."

"That's why I asked," Harry said. "Rin's curious, and so was I. Besides, if he wants to be a hero, I can give him pointers on what to avoid. Like avoiding meddling old men."

"Like you, big brother?" Sakura asked impishly. He would later learn that while she hadn't quite accepted his status as such at the time, she was testing the waters, and certainly liked him better than her own big brother in the Matous…though considering what Shinji did to Sakura, that set the bar pretty low.

"Hey, I'm only 20! That's not old!" Harry retorted, much to Sakura's amusement. "Taiga's older than me!"

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME TIGER, POTTER?!" Taiga yelped.

"And what of it?" Harry asked, wincing. He hoped Taiga hadn't heard anything else. He would later learn it was just her Tiger Senses tingling.

"I'll give you a pass this once, then, for making me a great meal! Don't call me Tiger!"

"It's your name! Anyway, who doesn't like tigers? I mean, unless they're being eaten by them?"

Sakura chuckled. "You must be tired of living if you keep digging yourself deeper," she remarked.

"I have a bad habit of living dangerously, that's all," Harry said with a shrug…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Sakura and Shirou, and has faced down the wrath of the Taiga! What next?**

 **Incidentally, thanks for the great debut! I'm glad you guys like what's been posted so far. As of posting this chapter, I have written 10 chapters (counting the prologue), with Chapter 7 being the debut of Medea. Medea's dynamic will be different to that she had with Kuzuki in canon, or indeed with that of Shirou in** ** _Path of the King_** **, though it will lean more towards the latter.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Amatsumi** **: I didn't, I just used it as an exclamation. Rin uses 'God' as an expletive later.**

 **merendinoemiliano** **: No I don't, though I'm fairly unfamiliar with the** ** _Kamen Rider_** **franchise as a whole anyway. I know roughly what it's about, and that's it.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: Fair enough, but I decided that this version of EMIYA, while he didn't fall in love with Saber during the time he knew her, fell in love with her afterwards, much to his personal regret.**

 **Kaiser Dragon** **: Did you not read my foreword? I explicitly stated that** ** _Path of the King_** **would be an influence.** ** _Ugh_** **.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Well, yes and no. Harry's tempted to go out there and save her, but he also knows, thanks to Rin, that doing so may have consequences that may backfire (Zouken may have more pull with the Magus Association, given his long life). They're able to put a stopgap measure by asking Zelretch to take Sakura in as an apprentice (I'm sure Zelretch is probably one of the few people Zouken cannot refuse an order from), until shortly before the Grail War. And that's when Medea comes along…**

 **God-King Ghidora** **: Umm, who's the author here? While your suggestion of Harry being an Average One has merit, Harry, while his magic is OP by Nasuverse standards, is not an OP character. His main draw here is his perspective. His magecraft is well behind Rin and Sakura's, though it's still ahead of Shirou's, but he prefers to focus on Potterverse magic anyway. He will use Gandr curses in actual combat, though, and given his unusual hybridised magic, Medea may be able to teach him a few of her abilities. Not so much so he will be as powerful as Medea, but…well, let's just say that flying and firing off at least one of those Rain of Light beams won't be out of the question.**

 **1\. This was based on a comment HolyKnight5 made in their review of the prologue when it was posted in** ** _Zelretch's Collection of Alternates_** **. After some quick research on the Type Moon wiki and finding this to be a possibility, I integrated it into the story.**


	6. Chapter 4: The Priest

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **THE PRIEST**

It took a couple of weeks, but Harry's presence proved to be salutary on the relationship between Sakura and Rin. Admittedly, the two were reduced to communicating by passing notes, or else by using Harry as a mediator, but the fact that they were willing to do anything like this at all was a marked improvement on what their relationship had been like. While not as strong as it had been while they were younger, it was repairing, gradually, but surely.

It was in a quiet moment when he was in the school library that Harry managed to corner Shirou and confirmed that he was, if not a Magus, then he had magecraft training. While tempted to bring Rin in to help him, Harry decided to persuade Sakura instead, as the demure young girl was closer to Shirou (and Rin was still very much temperamental). They helped clear up some misconceptions Shirou had about magic circuits, that he needed to create new ones every time using his nerves. Either Kiritsugu had taught him this painful procedure deliberately to discourage him from learning magecraft, or Kiritsugu hadn't explained properly.

They learned Shirou was only really adept at Structural Analysis and Reinforcement, though he had been dabbling in Projection. Other forms of magecraft eluded him. And while he was young, and hadn't inherited a Magic Crest from Kiritsugu, that still seemed odd, especially as his magic circuits were pretty numerous and powerful, once activated properly.

Structural Analysis was the ability to fully comprehend the structure of an object. Shirou put this skill to practical use: he was known as an unofficial handyman around the school, using Structural Analysis to figure out what was wrong with things like heaters and DVD players and repair them, or at least maintain them. Rin, upon learning this, had groaned in exasperation at magecraft being put to such a mundane use, though Harry thought it rather enterprising of Shirou.

Reinforcement allowed one to strengthen objects, make them more durable or sharper. It could also be applied to human bodies, allowing people to temporarily boost their speed, strength, and durability. Projection was creating objects from raw magic power, though these objects would eventually dissipate due to the influence of the World.

Harry and Sakura, then, decided to educate Shirou about other points of interest about magecraft. They revealed to him the truth about the Fuyuki Fire, telling him about the Holy Grail War. He seemed astonished, horrified and fascinated in equal measure, though Harry and Sakura decided to avoid telling Shirou about his father's reputation. Yet…

* * *

It was a Saturday, and Harry and Rin were seated, discussing Shirou. "And he allowed you and Sakura into his Workshop," she said flatly. "On top of everything else." After a moment's thought, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I already had the impression he was a clueless dunce, but the Magus Killer obviously didn't teach him much about our culture and mores."

"I don't think that's a bad thing. He knows better than to expose it to outsiders, which is the main thing, right? Though he said his father told him he couldn't inherit the Magic Crest when I asked. Something about the illness he had rendering it unusable."

"Hmm. I'll agree, certain diseases would make it tricky to transplant a Magic Crest, and so would certain high-end curses," Rin mused. "Still, the fact that the Magus Killer, of all people, prioritised fatherhood over magecraft training pisses me off."

"Rin, get over that," Harry retorted. "Between being a good father and being a strong Magus, I know what I'd choose. Or are you forgetting about Sakura?" he added, his eyes narrowing. "I'm worried about her. She looks so haunted, so sad, so broken. I don't think it's just at being adopted out."

"Well, don't go trying anything stupid!" Rin said. "We have an alliance between our families. Breaking it could cause all sorts of trouble! As much as I don't like the Matous, I have obligations to think about!"

"What about the one to Sakura?" Harry asked dangerously.

Rin sighed, her earlier anger dissipating a little. "Harry, we're _trying_. Do you know how hard it is to get over a decade-long rift between us? You're the only reason we've even started, and she won't ever talk about her problems. And her family…Uncle Kariya was the reason my father died, and my mother was…" Rin's voice caught in her throat. "It was so painful watching her waste away to nothing, barely able to remember anything. I heard rumours about Zouken Matou, that he is really Zolgen Makiri, one of the founders of the Holy Grail War, but regardless, that decrepit old mummy is powerful within the Magus Association. Even if he was doing something bad to Sakura, we can do little."

"What about the police? Or the Enforcers?"

Rin chuckled mirthlessly. "Zouken would tamper with their memories, maybe even turn the police against us. And given his influence within the Magus Association, we can't trust the Enforcers. And we can't trust the Church either, if only because they wouldn't want to risk warring with Clock Tower. Which is a shame. Kirei doesn't like Zouken, and the feeling's mutual."

"Well, if need be, I'm pulling out the big guns," Harry said. "If she's sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs, or worse, I'm talking to Zelretch. He's got to be a bigger trump card than Zouken and his connections." Then, one of Rin's statements caught up with him. "Wait, did you say Zouken was Zolgen Makiri?"

"I don't know for sure, but rumour has it that Zouken is immortal. Not a Dead Apostle, though," she said, using the Magus term for a vampire in this world.

"Oh great, a Voldemort wannabe with pretensions to immortality," Harry snarked. "I refuse to tempt the cosmos by asking how this could possibly get any worse…"

* * *

That being said, in a way, they did. Because it was later that day that Harry met Kirei Kotomine for the first time.

Kirei didn't often visit Rin, usually communicating by phone, for which Rin was grateful for. The two didn't think highly of each other. But the man did come around, a few weeks after Harry first met Rin.

Harry was looking over a book on the history of the Grail War, covering the first three, when Rin, who had gone to answer the door, came back with a man in tow. "Well, so this is the man who is your twin brother," mused a deep, resonant voice. "Rather odd, considering he is older and not Japanese, but I have seen stranger things in my time as an Executor."

Harry looked up. The man was tall, dressed in the robes of a Catholic priest, his dark brown hair in a mullet, framing handsome, but vaguely unnerving features. Harry's instincts were screaming. This man, even if he hadn't done so recently, was very much a killer, or at least had a killer instinct. His dark eyes peered at Harry with interest. "Sorry, but who are you?"

"I'm hurt," the man said, albeit with a blatantly false hurt tone. "I would have thought Rin would have mentioned me. I am Kirei Kotomine, her guardian and, after her father perished, her teacher in magecraft."

"Harry Tohsaka," Harry said, getting up and shaking the man's hand, if only for politeness' sake. "And yes, she has mentioned you. Accompanied by expletives on occasion. As for my appearance, there was a kidnapping from another universe and a blood adoption. Very long story."

"Another universe? Then are you acquainted with the Wizard Marshall?"

"To a degree," Harry said.

"Harry has no interest in the Tohsaka Crest, Kirei," Rin said. "His interest is in reconnecting with his family."

"I see. You certainly have Rin's fire," Kirei said. "And you remind me of two others I have met. You have the eyes of a woman I knew…well, saw from a distance. The same shade of green. It's so strange to see the same eyes in a different person. And yet, you also have something of a tired fool of a man I met."

"And who were they?" Harry asked, wondering if Kirei had referred to a parallel version of his mother.

"Saber, and her Master, Kiritsugu Emiya," Kirei said. "How curious that you share the same eyes as Arturia Pendragon, better known as King Arthur."

Now this was a shock. Though the thing that came to Harry's lips wasn't that he shared the same eyes as the famous King of the Britons, but… "King Arthur was a woman?"

"Indeed. She hid her gender, portraying herself as a young man who retained eternal youth. She still remained unaged, thanks to her Noble Phantasm, Avalon," Kirei said. "I understand your confusion. I myself was surprised when I found out. I ran reconnaissance for your father during the previous Grail War, and overheard Saber and Lancer revealing their identities to each other out of some chivalric urge. I spoke to your father afterwards, and he shared with me what he knew."

"So…Mordred…and didn't Arthur have sons…?" Harry asked.

"For his legitimate offspring, Merlin turned Arturia into a man temporarily, complete with working equipment," Kirei said. "Morgana harvested the resulting semen and used that to create a Homunculus she named Mordred…who was also female, though she refused to see herself as such. Aren't legends a grand tapestry?"

"They're brilliant," Harry said in a deadpan tone. He was still a little shaken at Kirei's assertion that he shared the same eyes as King Arthur. Who was a woman, apparently. "And the comparison to the Magus Killer?"

"It's not a strong one. The man was a fool, though his ability in fighting his fellow Magi was certainly beyond reproach, at least in terms of ability. Many Magi would not see it the same way. Your father despised how the Magus Killer used guns and explosives as weapons, as opposed to magecraft, while the first Lord El-Melloi thought him a disgrace to Magi everywhere…and ended up being crippled by one of Emiya's Origin Bullets, a bullet that, when it interacts with magecraft, causes a massive short-circuit in the victim's magic circuits. I see much of the tiredness and weariness he possessed within you, the contempt at the way the world is, from harsh and bitter experience. But you do not possess his ability to harden the heart, I don't think. Still, you have seen the fires of hell. Even before the Grail War, I saw it in many eyes when I worked for the Burial Agency."

"That's the part of the Church that deals with rogue Magi and vampires, right?" Harry asked.

"Indeed, though we use the term 'Dead Apostle' instead of vampire, for various reasons."

"Yeah, that was weird. That, and finding out that they're descended from an alien from the Moon. Arc's nice, though."

"Arc?" Kirei asked.

Rin winced, remembering what her reaction was when she heard this. "Apparently Zelretch introduced Harry to the White Princess of the True Ancestors. And apparently they got along famously."

"Arcueid Brunestud?" Kirei clarified. "Hmm. Well, admittedly, she is apparently one of the more friendly vampires. There are few so well-inclined towards humanity. Well, unless you happen to be the reincarnation of her nemesis, Roa. You know some interesting people, Harry. Interesting in the cursed sense of the term, anyway. What next? Altrouge Brunestud? Merem Solomon?"

"Well, Rin's English teacher is a kendo champion with a hair-trigger temper whenever you say her first name, and her gramps is apparently a Yakuza leader, but I guess compared to the world's strongest and oldest vampires, they kind of pale by comparison."

Kirei's lips twisted into something like a smile. Not that he didn't often smile: he had been smiling for most of the time. But the smile had twisted ever so subtly into something…dangerous. Something Harry didn't like. "Well, I have met some rather interesting people in my time. There is a man of my acquaintance who believes he is the king of all he surveys with such conviction, you can't help but be awed by it. He doesn't take kindly to insults, though. He has a temper in inverse proportion to his ego, and he is a skilled combatant. I would arrange a meeting, but I fear you would fare badly."

Harry decided not to rise to the bait. "Probably for the best. I've had enough of dealing with megalomaniacs."

"Kirei, are you here for any reason than curiosity about my brother?" Rin demanded.

"More or less. I've been hearing rumours of interest in other areas, but I want to substantiate them first before I bring them to you," Kirei said. "I look forward to you making great strides as a Magus, Harry. Rin has a competitive streak, and she could do with a helper and sounding board, or a rival to spur her to greater heights. So much the better if it's a family member who doesn't want her dead for her Magic Crest: Magi do have a different way of looking at things to normal society, or at least they acknowledge the darker side of human nature far better, even than many of my peers in the Church. Though my former colleagues in the Burial Agency do not have such a naïve view of the world. Still, should you require any guidance in matters mundane, magical, or spiritual, feel free to speak to me. I don't have much of a congregation, so I tend to get bored, and unfortunately, I am not allowed to go on missions for the Burial Agency anymore."

"I'll consider it," Harry said, knowing full well he didn't really want to go anywhere near him. Pleasant though Kirei was, there was something unnerving about the priest…

* * *

Kirei Kotomine thought to himself as he walked quietly back to his church. Harry Tohsaka…a twin of Rin. It was something Tokiomi had mentioned but once, when he drank one glass of wine too many, a rare occurrence for the man. They had been discussing the inheritance procedures of Magi families, and this was shortly before Tokiomi had received the offer from that vile worm Zouken Matou, so the thought of what to do with his daughters was preying heavily on his mind.

Tokiomi mentioned Aoi giving birth to twins, the boy named for Kirei's father (and as much as Kirei had wanted to kill his own father, there was a part of him that respected, missed and mourned Risei Kotomine). However, one night, after they got home from the hospital, they were woken by something going through the Bounded Fields. There was the strange, ethereal song of some bird, the flare of magical flame beneath the door frame…and then nothing. Risei Tohsaka had vanished, somehow kidnapped.

Tokiomi and Aoi spared little expense in trying to find him, but after a few months had passed, with no sign of who did it, no ransom note, they had resigned themselves to his permanent disappearance. Tokiomi had forced himself to see the bright side. He had lost his original heir, but he still had Rin, and at the time, he was worried about what Rin was going to do, a situation he found replicated after Sakura was born. He did cover up Risei's existence, going so far as to erase the doctors and nurses' memories, but still, Tokiomi confessed that there was a small part of him that wished Risei would return one day.

Kirei had a notion that, before long, the Fifth Holy Grail War would begin. The last time Gilgamesh visited, he had been getting more restless than usual, dropping hints, and the von Einzberns had been a veritable hive of activity lately. It seemed that Kiritsugu Emiya's hasty actions in destroying the Grail before Angra Mainyu could be made fully manifest had borne fruit. If only the Magus Killer had lived long enough to see it. Kirei even smirked a little at the thought of the Magus Killer summoning Saber again…only for her to run him through after forcing her to destroy the Grail. A pity it wouldn't have been a drawn-out demise, but Arturia had a thing for chivalry. Turning on her Master would go against that, true, but she would baulk at torturing him.

Still, Emiya's spawn lived. He knew that Kiritsugu and that Homunculus woman Irisviel, the Lesser Grail of that Grail War, had offspring, a daughter. And there was the boy Kiritsugu adopted after the Fuyuki Fire. They would be at odds, considering how the Magus Killer betrayed the von Einzberns. Such a wonderful tragedy brought a smirk to Kirei's lips and a song to his heart…well, the one given to him by Angra Mainyu after Kiritsugu shot his old one out. Kirei was actually surprised he had a heart that could be shot out. Who knew?

And what of Rin Tohsaka and her siblings? Would Harry, this interloper, manage to reunite the sisters to any great degree, only to have them torn apart by the Grail War? Hmm, maybe he should have told Harry and Rin about the Crest Worms. Tokiomi didn't even know about them, the deluded imbecile, but Kirei found out later. Kirei wondered what sort of mess that Harry would make if he learned about the Crest Worms. It'd be an interesting mess, he was sure.

No. Better to nudge events along than give them a firm push, at least until the Grail War came around once more. Then, the fun would begin, a perverse melodrama in the time-honoured tradition of Grand Guignol, with an unhappy ending on the way. Well, save for the few lunatics like Kirei himself that thought unleashing the genocidal curses of an ancient evil was a happy ending.

Still, the addition of Harry Tohsaka, formerly Risei Tohsaka, was an interesting new development. Yes, he could be very interesting indeed. And while Kirei didn't have facial hair to twirl, he was laughing madly. On the inside, of course. He didn't want people to think that a psychopath walked amongst them, no matter what the truth of the matter was…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Kirei, and Harry and Rin are debating what to do with Sakura. And we've just had a look into the twisted depths of Kirei Kotomine's mind. Not a fun experience, is it?**

 **Review-answering time!** **Astrobot1745** **: I did notice relatively recently (albeit some time before you posted this review) about how Dark Sakura does, very vaguely, resemble a von Einzbern Homunculus. Thanks for putting that image into my head, though. Then again, remember that Shirou isn't directly related to poor Iri.**

 **HolyKnight5** **: Yeah, no, I don't subscribe to what seems to be fanon that Harry's still got Basilisk venom running through his veins. I occasionally refer to remnants, but nothing like what fanon seems to indicate.**

 **hnh058513** **: Pay attention please. He won't be summoning any Servant. Instead, he will be having Medea as one. The prologue, my foreword, and the pairing tag makes that pretty damned explicit.**

 **Tobias97** **: I'm glad you like it this way. I usually write post-Hogwarts Harry as cynical and embittered by his experiences, but he still has his saving people thing. In fact, I think his character theme in many of my post-Hogwarts stories should be Mike Oldfield's** ** _Nuclear_** **. It feels like a weary, and yet epic piece of music (and while I haven't played the game, I did first hear this music on a trailer for** ** _Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain_** **).**

 **Guest** **(regarding Harry's 'saving people thing' being as bad as Shirou's nature): Maybe, but Harry is no longer as self-sacrificing. Well, more to the point, while he is still somewhat selfless, and won't stand by while someone suffers, he's not as forgiving. If someone is a threat, he'd find a way to deal with them. While nowhere near as cynical as Archer/EMIYA, his experiences have tarnished him. On the other hand, he's also willing to give people a chance, even if they have dark pasts (like Medea), but only if he thinks they are willing to redeem themselves. I actually view the difference between the Harry of the books, particularly the earlier ones, and the one here, as being similar to how the Eighth Doctor progresses from an energetic traveller to a cynical, weary, but ultimately heroic character throughout the** ** _Doctor Who_** **Big Finish audios (though you see some of that in** ** _The Night of the Doctor_** **).**

 **SonicAnime2010** **: Ah, yes, Assassin. Medea won't be summoning Assassin this time. They will be summoned by Zouken Matou. As for who it is…well, let's just say I have an idea I am discussing with Gabriel Herrol, and leave it at that…**

 **miguelguilianoco** **: *sigh* Please use English for review replies, as I do not speak Spanish, and I had to run your review through Google Translate. And do not tell me what to write and what to do with pairings. I do intend to do either a** ** _Fate/Apocrypha_** **story, or an** ** _Apocrypha_** **-style Grail War. In the latest chapter (as of writing) of my** ** _Thor_** **crossover** ** _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_** **, I basically stated that the sequel (if and when it comes out) would be a** ** _Fate/Apocrypha_** **-style Grail War run by the Grandmaster and which would draw in the Avengers, amongst others into a three-way** ** _Apocrypha_** **-style tournament.**

 **Mister Rei** **: Not going to happen, but we will have a** ** _Sunny Day_** **-style ending.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 5: Truth and Dare

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **TRUTH AND DARE**

As time went by, Harry found himself ever more disquieted by Sakura. He wasn't sure what was wrong, save that she wasn't happy at home. And given his own upbringing, he was sorely tempted to either ask Sakura what was going on, or start nosing around, if not downright storm into the Matou Manor, which wasn't very far from the Tohsaka Manor.

Over the next couple of months, Harry kept an eye on Sakura and her adoptive brother. He was careful to hide any looks towards her, most of the time, but he noticed a disturbing resentment in his features at times. And Shinji had a smarmy nature, one that he covered up with superficial charm. Harry had the displeasure of meeting him a couple of times, and found that he was like Malfoy too much for his liking. Draco, anyway. Kirei seemed rather like Lucius in some regards, except not quite. Fawkes seemed to stay well away from Kirei, though he tended to prefer to spend time in Tokiomi's old study when he was in Fuyuki (Fawkes seemed to like heading back to London to spend time with Hermione, Luna, and, oddly, Arc when she was in London).

Harry spent time as a go-between for his sisters, as well as helping Shirou out with his magecraft, and generally educating him on the society and mores of Magi. Through that, he learned of how terribly, terribly warped Shirou was: he discussed his own life with Shirou, of how he became a hero, and of the troubles and pratfalls. Shirou refused to budge on his ideal of becoming a Hero of Justice, and the way he spoke, he would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat to save another. He had no self-preservation instinct whatsoever.

This wasn't to say that Shirou was either insane or bad. It was more than he had no ability to prioritise himself over others. Harry could understand part of it: Shirou carried a lot of survivor's guilt from what happened in the Fuyuki Fire, and Kiritsugu, turning his back on his mercenary ways, had instilled a better set of morals in his adopted son. But they were still twisted. He just hoped that educating Shirou about his own life would temper the adopted Emiya's semi-suicidal nature. Nothing wrong with being a hero, as long as you knew what you were letting yourself in for.

Of course, Shirou seemed to appreciate Harry's presence, as a sort of big brother figure and even a mentor. He didn't quite fanboy over Harry (and he did NOT want another Colin Creevey, or worse, a male version of Ginny, thank you VERY much!), but he had latched onto Harry.

Harry began to realise, too, that his youngest sister had a thing for Shirou, and it took a few pointed questions to realise Shirou was wholly oblivious to that. He wasn't stringing Sakura along, he just didn't realise she was smitten with him, albeit in a quiet way. Then again, Harry couldn't talk in the 'oblivious to love' stakes. Oh, he wasn't oblivious to infatuation, but love? Then again, considering how much love the Dursleys showed him (that is, sod all), not to mention having a Horcrux of Voldemort, a man unable to love, in his noggin, was it any wonder he had trouble with that?

Harry sat Shirou down, and explained. Naturally, Shirou was confused, and took while to accept that. To his credit, he didn't dare take advantage of that (one, he was too nice, and two, Harry threatened Shirou with a shallow grave…or being sent by express post to Altrouge Brunestud with instructions that Shirou become Primate Murder's personal chew toy), and indeed, the two grew closer.

* * *

During one dinner (Taiga being under the weather, so she wasn't present, much to Harry's relief), the three of them were discussing Sakura and Shirou's relationship. "So, what is it about Shirou you like?" Harry asked. "That he's your personal knight in shining armour? Hey, you know, with Projection, you could probably make your own swords."

Shirou chuckled a little at Harry's joke, but he noticed Sakura looking down. "Sakura?"

"…I wouldn't mind having a knight in shining armour," Sakura said quietly. "But…I don't want them getting hurt for me. Uncle Kariya ended up dying because of me."

"Uncle Kariya?" Shirou asked.

"Kariya Matou," Harry said. "Shinji's uncle as well, and the Master of Berserker in the last Grail War. He knew the Tohsakas pretty well, actually. The problem is, Berserker is probably the most mana-hungry Servant you can get, so it probably did a number on his body. I heard he didn't want to be a Magus, but came back for…" He shot Sakura a look, before concluding, "Reasons."

Shirou had had something of the situation explained to him, and had been sworn to secrecy by Harry and Sakura about Sakura being related to the Tohsakas. "He thought you needed saving from the Matous?"

Sakura nodded. "But he died. I saw him die right in front of me."

"The Grail War was only nine years ago, so…oh God, I'm so sorry," Shirou said.

"Don't apologise, Shirou," Sakura said sadly. "Uncle Kariya, he…he tried so hard, and he…"

Harry gently drew his sister into a hug as she wept. "Sorry," Shirou said. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Don't apologise, Shirou," Sakura said. "I'm glad you don't walk the path of a Magus, not the way others do. It's a road of misery and pain and horror and…and…magic doesn't do anything to help the world. Magi are just so… _monstrous._ "

"What about me? Or Harry? What about Rin?"

Sakura stiffened in Harry's grasp at Shirou's words, before she said, quietly and coldly, "Rin is too much like her father."

"Sakura…" Harry said quietly. "Rin is trying to reconnect with you. I'm trying to make sure she's a much better kind of Magus than Tokiomi. And I promise you, I refuse to abandon you. If I can find a way to get you out of there, I will."

"You can't…" the Matou girl whispered. "Nobody can defy grandfather…"

* * *

The evening had been soured, and Harry, after dinner, took Sakura back to her home. As they made their way through the city, Harry said, "Rin told me she thinks that Zouken's immortal, that he was the Zolgen Makiri who founded the Grail War alongside the von Einzberns and the Tohsakas. Is she right?"

She didn't reply verbally, but her shiver told her all he needed to know. Or at least that she was afraid of Zouken. Deathly so. And the way her eyes kept flitting around nervously, as if expecting to be overheard, was telling.

"Sakura…I'm not saying wanting immortality makes you evil…but there's something about your grandfather that worries me. I want to help."

"You can't help," she murmured. "Shirou can't help, and Rin _won't_ help."

"Sakura," Harry said, gently putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Please."

"…If you tried to defy grandfather, you'll die," Sakura said. "Just like Uncle Kariya. The worms ate him alive from the inside out."

"Worms?" Harry asked.

"…I've said too much," Sakura said. She looked at Harry, and gave him a sad smile. "Don't worry about me, please. I'm not worth it."

"I'll be the judge of that," Harry said, but by this point, they had reached the Matou Manor. And Sakura went through the gates and into the house with only a hurried goodbye.

Harry saw someone peering out at him from one of the windows…or something. It looked like a particularly ancient-looking man with greyish wrinkled skin, dressed in Japanese robes. He didn't see many more details, as the man was silhouetted in the light from the window, but he got the feeling of intense scrutiny. Harry matched what he was sure was a stare with a glare of his own, before heading back to the Tohsaka Manor…

* * *

The next morning, Rin came down to the dining room to find Harry sleeping, in danger of staining an open book, one of many, with drool. She shook him awake gently, before going over to make some tea. "You know, when you got home last night, you didn't really talk to me," Rin said. "You just started pulling books on familiars and magical creatures from the bookshelves and looking through them. What got a bee into your bonnet?"

"Sakura," Harry said. "She's afraid of Zouken. What's more, she said something about how Kariya died, being eaten alive by worms."

"Worms?" Rin asked. "But that sounds like… _oh_ _ **no**_." With a moment of dawning horror, she headed to the bookshelves and pulled one ancient-looking tome down, and opened it. "God, I hope I'm wrong," she muttered.

"What? What?!" Harry demanded.

Rin peered at the page, and then showed Harry a page, with a rather phallic-looking worm in an illustration. The text was in German, and Harry only knew a few words, so he couldn't understand it. "Rin, what does it say?"

"Oh, right. These vile things are Crest Worms, the lowest of the low when it comes to familiars. Oh God, if Zouken is really using these…Father, what did you do? I hope he didn't know about this, because if he did…"

"What? What's so bad about them? I can't read German, Rin." Okay, they looked sinister, but still, he needed to know.

"…Crest Worms are parasites. They give you mana in exchange for feeding on your body. In males, it's nervous tissue and bone marrow, and unless you're strong in will and body, you'd be lucky to live for a month afterwards. If Uncle Kariya had them in him during the last Grail War, that'd explain a lot. Mother described him to me after he rescued me from that serial killer. His hair had gone white, and he had part of his body and face paralysed. But in females, it's worse. Much worse. They're like something out of tentacle porn."

Harry blanched. He was, by now, aware of such things. "You're fucking kidding me."

"I wish I was. They prefer to feed on the lining of the uterus. The relationship is more symbiotic than in males, but…after a certain point in the victim's life, they require…" Rin grimaced, and said, "They require sexual stimulation to prevent them from acting up. And she's probably had them in her body since we gave her to the Matous. I think I'm going to be sick."

" _You're_ going to be sick?" Harry demanded in disgusted anger. "If she's got those things inside her, we've got to get her out of there."

"And how are we going to do that? We don't have any proof. What's more, even if he was doing that to her, remember what I told you about the Magus Association? How much influence Zouken has there? The police won't be able to help. Exposing his use of Crest Worms will do little, except have him hurt Sakura more! Magi may have standards, but I don't think even Crest Worms will get him a Sealing Designation, not without one being slapped on Sakura as well. And I do NOT want to have Sakura trading one prison for another, locked up in a cell beneath Clock Tower for the rest of her life! We need to do this smart! We need to do this like a Magus. And if we can't kill him…then we outmanoeuvre him!"

"But how?" Harry asked.

Rin smirked. "I have an idea. You have friends in high places too. And if there is one person Zouken Matou would never refuse, it'd be Zelretch. Remember how you said you'd contact him? Apprenticeships with him are prized, even if many people fear him turning them into nervous wrecks."

Not Luna or George, Harry reflected. Between Luna's lateral thinking and near-insanity, and George's love of pranks, they'd get along famously with Zelretch, even without Luna being used to him already. In fact, Luna was off on an adventure in a parallel universe, and had dragged Hermione (much to the annoyance of Waver) and Arc along for the ride…and they had taken Kaleidosticks. Sentient magical focuses with perverted attitudes that gave them ridiculously skimpy outfits based on magical girl anime.

Harry could almost hear Hermione's annoyed groans from across dimensions.

"So…we'd be giving Sakura an apprenticeship with Zelretch?" Harry asked. "Can he remove those things?"

"We don't even know if she has them, though given that she's their heir, I'd put money on those things being in her. That'd explain why Shinji has a chip on his shoulder about her too: he's basically what you'd call back in your world a Squib, so he'd be jealous of her being the heir, as well as having magic. As for removing the Crest Worms…well, I'm not sure even Zelretch can remove them safely. They're basically living magic circuits, Harry, removing them would potentially cripple her, even kill her. And they're easily aggravated. What I'm hoping is that Zelretch knows of a means to change them into normal magic circuits permanently, or else at least reduce the side-effects."

Harry wasn't satisfied, not completely. But at least Rin had a good idea. He wished he had thought of it. He readily admitted, Rin was smarter and sharper than he was, especially when it came to magecraft and Magi politics. And in the end, she cared about Sakura, even if she didn't show it as much as he did. He may have been a Gryffindor with maybe a few Slytherin traits, but Rin was a full-blown hybrid of Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Sakura was wrong. She was worth defying Zouken. And Harry and Rin intended to prove that…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Rin have learned the truth about Sakura, and are making plans. Slytherin plans, as opposed to Gryffindor ones. They're buying her time away from Zouken. We can hope.**

 **Keep in mind, Harry not charging in to save Sakura from a fate worse than the cupboard under the stairs is not meant to be construed as apathy to her plight. Harry is a little wiser for his actions in Magical Britain, and he'd prefer to fight smarter than harder. He doesn't want to rescue Sakura, only for things to get worse for her.**

 **You guys will be pleased to know that up to Chapter 14 has been written, and Chapter 15, marking the clash between Saber, Caster and Berserker, is partially written.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Yorae Rasante** **: Sadly, I don't know enough about** ** _Tsukihime_** **to be able to bring in Shiki Tohno. However, Assassin WILL be a surprise.**

 **kagemoto** **: While I used the AK scenario against Zouken for** ** _Ex Umbra in Solem_** **, I'm not using it here. Harry doesn't know if it'll work on a Crest Worm (in just about every fanfic that I see, anyway, the Killing Curse only works on individual Horcruxes).**

 **merendinoemiliano** **: Kirei is a somewhat complex character, and while much of him revels in his evil, some of him still remains disturbed by it. Remember, this is a guy who, while he takes delight in suffering, once thought that to be disturbing. I also added that Kirei, for all his wanting to kill his father (as Gilgamesh points out in** ** _Fate/Zero_** **), also respected him. I'd imagine Risei Kotomine was the closest thing to a person Kirei loved, more than even Claudia Hortensia, his wife. As for how Potterverse witches and wizards, I'm going by the standard fanon theory of a magical core. Harry developed that by dint of Blood Adoption, so he has both a core, and underdeveloped magic circuits, allowing him to use both Potterverse and Nasuverse magic, though he favours the former. He will use Gandr curses in the upcoming fight against Illya, though. And I did something similar before when Sakura is Blood Adopted by Harry in** ** _Gorgon and Thanatos_** **.**

 **Astrobot1745** **: Actually, Frankenstein's Monster is (tentatively) going to Bruce Banner in the** ** _Light the Blue Touch Paper_** **sequel. I mean, the Hulk is a Berserker, Bruce is a scientist, and I can see him being protective of the very adorable Frankenstein Berserker. As for the circuits and core thing, Harry may have more magical stamina, but despite his experience and cynicism, he's also not as ruthless as most Magi, and would hesitate to use a Killing Curse unless he knows he needs to. He also has to watch out for the Servants as well, so while Potterverse magic is pretty broken compared to the Nasuverse, Servants are on another level entirely.**

 **Mister Rei** **: Kirei was mostly trolling Harry a little. He doesn't want Harry to die just yet, as he's too interesting.**

 **Guest** **(regarding having Akitsu from** ** _Sekirei_** **): Read my profile. See what it says about giving me story suggestions. In a word: DON'T. Anyway, I generally try not to meld more than two franchises together for crossovers, aside from cheeky references.**

 **The Shadows Mistress** **: Not that I know that much about** ** _School Days_** **, but what I do know suggests that a LOT of endings are better than a** ** _School Days_** **ending. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that filled with twisted,** ** _yandere_** **characters?**

 **aliestrikehero** **: Nanoha as a Berserker. Noble Phantasm: You're Gonna Be Befriended. And Kenshiro…are we talking the guy from** ** _Fist of the North Star_** **? Noble Phantasm: You're Already Dead. Yeah, I know his martial art has a different name, but that's cooler.**

 **piddle** **: I think of Tokiomi as being basically Lucius Malfoy, only without the xenophobia or evil. He's just amoral, and holds those who reject magecraft like Kariya did in contempt. That being said, I think that, if he actually knew about the Crest Worms, he'd find an alternative in a shot, like he did in** ** _Gorgon and Thanatos_** **, for example. He's amoral, but I think he'd care about Sakura enough NOT to subject her to that if he knew.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 6: The False Calm Before the

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **THE FALSE CALM BEFORE THE STORM**

As predicted, Zouken would not dare refuse Zelretch offering Sakura an apprenticeship, though he was able to ensure Sakura would stay at Fuyuki for it, even if it weren't at the Matou Manor. The flimsy reason he gave was because he wanted Sakura to continue her schooling. All this meant was that Fuyuki would have to suffer Zelretch's presence for a while, as well as George Weasley.

However, in addition to offering Sakura an apprenticeship, Zelretch offered Rin one as well. All of which meant that the two sisters would be reunited under one roof. Harry and Shirou were being roped in as 'research assistants' (read: Zelretch's enablers, like George). But that also meant that Harry and Shirou would be learning under the tutelage of one of the oldest surviving Magi to ever live.

And the first proper reunion between sisters was a sight to behold. Zelretch had commandeered a building near the Fuyuki Park, where the fire marking the end of the previous Grail War scoured the city. So when Harry and Rin finally entered…

* * *

She was waiting for them there in a conference room, along with Zelretch and Shirou, the ancient vampire putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her expression on her face was mixed. Shame, resentment, anger, hatred…all only subtle, but there. But there were also embers of hope.

And those embers were set alight when Rin lost her own composure, and rushed forward, throwing her arms around Sakura. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I…I just…if I had known…if Father knew about those damned things, I…"

"He didn't, grandfather said," Sakura said quietly, pushing Rin away, and looking her in the eyes. "But he still gave me away. And this is…what happened. I'm tainted, Rin, filthy, because of those things, of what they did to me, and…"

"Sakura," Rin said. " _They_ did that to you. You did not do it to yourself. You are my sister. I may have to pretend otherwise in public, but _you are still my sister_ , no matter what Zouken bloody Matou claims. If I had known about this sooner, I would have done something sooner. Magi or not, there are lines we shouldn't cross in our pursuit of Akasha."

"Well spoken," Zelretch said. "Magi hold themselves apart from humanity, but that does not necessarily mean they should discard it. It is a lesson that should be taught alongside the fact that Magi walk hand in hand with Death."

"This coming from the vampire?" Harry asked wryly.

Zelretch merely chuckled. "I had my condition thrust upon me by Crimson Moon Brunestud. I like people."

"Usually hearing them scream in frustration, anyway," Harry snarked. "So, can you get those things out of her?"

"Unfortunately, no. I have lived for centuries, Harry, but I believe that any ritual that could remove them safely belongs to the Age of the Gods. But there are means and methods of quelling the Crest Worms without going into the obvious methods. Not unless Mr Emiya would like to oblige?"

Shirou blushed furiously, as did Sakura, and Rin scowled. Harry said, "I think we should wait until their relationship is better. They're a bit young anyway. What methods are they? Potions or something?"

"Indeed, along with mana-expending exercises. Nothing even a Magus with qualms would object to. The potions will also make her body hostile to any attempts at further implantation of Crest Worms for some time afterwards," Zelretch said. "There are some rituals I have found that can make the Crest Worms permanently quiescent, but the problem is, Zouken could just force Sakura to be infested by more. And there are many Crest Worms in vital areas, making any removal rituals tricky. Still, we may have bought some time. Now, Sakura, did you ever learn what your Element was?"

Sakura shook her head. "I have the Matou Element of Water now."

"Well, I have been examining you since you arrived with Shirou. It seems that Zouken's vile methods obscured your true element: Imaginary Numbers, or Hollow. It's an unusual one, though not as unusual as Shirou here: he is an Incarnation."

"That means his Origin and Element are the same, right?" Harry asked.

"Indeed, and it's unusual: Sword. It's no wonder he has difficulties with magecraft beyond Structural Analysis, Reinforcement, and Projection. It means he is highly specialised. Indeed, those abilities work best with weapons like swords or blades. I dare say he could even Project a Noble Phantasm, given time and training."

"You're kidding me," Rin said flatly. "This has to be one of your jokes, Zelretch. Shirou cannot be capable of recreating a Root-damned Noble Phantasm via Projection!"

"Oh, really?" Zelretch asked. "I beg to differ."

"Wait," Harry said, holding up a hand. "Are we talking Noble Phantasms, as in the weapons of ancient heroes?"

"Of course. Shirou cannot copy their abilities, but weapons are another matter entirely," the burly bearded vampire said. "Then again, certain Noble Phantasms may be beyond his reach forever, if only because the information processed in order to recreate it may overload his brain. Like Excalibur, which was forged by the Fae, or Ea, the Sword of Rupture wielded by Gilgamesh of Uruk." He walked over to the window, peering out across at the park. "A useful and dangerous ability to have. I won't speak of this to anyone we can't trust at Clock Tower. At most, it will go to young Waver, and your friends, Harry. Once they get back from their little sojourn, anyway."

Shirou looked out across at the park, the decrepit park filled with vaguely sinister trees and a sickly sense of _wrongness_ about it. "I was born there," he said quietly. "After I died there."

"The Fuyuki Fire?" Rin asked softly.

"Yes. My father, Kiritsugu, he was the one who saved me. But the memories of my life beforehand…they were burnt away. Could the residue from the Grail do that?"

"It's possible. With that much mana flowing out of control, who knows what would happen? And even then, there may have been something more at work," Zelretch said, indicating the park. "Have you seen anywhere truly that dismal? I walked through that park earlier, and there was something strange about it. Like it is cursed. Maybe that is what made you a palimpsest Shirou."

"A what?" Shirou asked.

"A blank slate. Forgive an old man his colourful language," Zelretch said, putting his hands behind his back. "I have had a long life. I have fought against Crimson Moon Brunestud and won. I was there when Justeaze von Einzbern gave up her very existence to become the core to the Greater Grail. I have seen so many things both light and dark through Kaleidoscope. And yet…the atmosphere in that park disturbs me at a fundamental level."

"Must be bad, considering you're one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors," Harry remarked. "The list of things that could be a threat to you is a pretty short one."

"Indeed. And yet…I find myself wondering. The Fuyuki Fire happened after Kiritsugu Emiya ordered his Saber Servant to attack the Grail. Given the effort he expended, why did he do so? He never sent any communiques to Clock Tower. Perhaps he feared not being believed. Then again, he was a maverick, working at the edges of Magus society. Or maybe something cursed him with the inability to speak of it. We can't ask him now."

Harry winced. He'd gotten rid of the Deathly Hallows, save for the Invisibility Cloak. The Elder Wand he'd given to Hermione. The Resurrection Stone, he had thrown deep into the Black Lake at Hogwarts in disgust when he learned about his true heritage, and had interrogated his parents' shades (at least his parents were ashamed at adopting a kidnapped child, though Dumbledore had claimed to them that he had found Harry in an orphanage: Dumbledore's portrait had been singularly unrepentant). The latter could have been useful here.

Still, what was done was done. And hopefully, the next Grail War would be the next generation's problem. Assuming there wasn't something deeply wrong with the Grail…

* * *

The next several months went fairly well, even if they were somewhat hectic, dividing time between school, and magecraft tuition under Zelretch. In the meantime, Hermione, Luna, and Arc came back, with Arc and Luna laughing as Hermione tried to throttle Zelretch. Apparently she wasn't fond of magical girl outfits. Or magical foci that talked back. And she had been plotting revenge against Zelretch. True, their expedition to other universes was a learning experience…but it could do without the lesson of ' _Zelretch loves magical girl anime, and will inflict it on anyone he can find_ '.

Once Hermione had calmed down, she began joining Harry, Shirou and George in helping Zelretch plan various pranks. One of the funnier, yet understated ones was courtesy of Hermione: sending Taiga the text of _The Tyger_ by William Blake and framing it as part of a love letter from an anonymous love letter…albeit with enough clues to make it seem like Shinji Matou sent it. It nearly ended with Taiga beating the crap out of Shinji (who had insulted her in his angered rush to deny his involvement) with a shinai, if it weren't for Kuzuki intercepting her.

Actually, the rather grim and stoic teacher was surprisingly adept at fighting, Harry and the others learned when they witnessed that episode. Then again, there was something strange about him anyway. Harry had already marked him as one to watch. He had intercepted Taiga's shinai with ridiculous ease. Some small part of Harry wished that Shinji had had the shit beaten out of him, though.

Shirou and Rin actually worked together on the Jewel Sword that Zelretch had commissioned the Tohsakas to create years ago, and to the vampire's delight, they were making progress. True, it wouldn't be finished anytime soon, but Rin and Shirou, between them, were doing more progress than the Tohsakas managed to do before them. Shirou worked with Rin on it because, well, it was a Sword, and given that he was an Incarnation, it seemed appropriate. Not only that, but Harry's supply of gems and jewels had helped, with some rare magical gems from the world he had grown up in helping.

The relationship between Rin and Sakura had grown, and Sakura's resentment and bitterness was beginning to lessen, as was Rin's distant attitude towards her sister. Even if Sakura wasn't quite rescued from the Matous yet, she was beginning to heal. It also helped that Sakura and Shirou's relationship began to grow too.

Zelretch, however, had noted that Zouken had set a deadline for Sakura to return to him. Zelretch had discussed possible reasons why: he was almost certain Zouken used Crest Worms as an equivalent of Horcruxes, keeping his soul alive, and allowing him to transfer between bodies. Indeed, his body was partially comprised of Crest Worms. Shades of Voldemort, though Zouken's goal did not seem to be conquering the world. Unfortunately, in the amoral Magus community, that would be viewed with contempt rather than anything immoral, and even if a Sealing Designation was slapped on Zouken, one would be put on Sakura as well at the very least.

In truth, the only way to try and get those things out of Sakura permanently was to find the right sort of ritual. But they also had to find a way to ensure that Zouken could not retaliate. Preferably by wiping him out, along with his Crest Worms. Already by letting slip their existence, Sakura was in danger: Zouken would not kill her if she was valuable to him, but he had already proved himself to be a vicious sadist by having those Crest Worms violate her.

Then, the time they had been worried about came: Zouken had ordered her return. But Sakura, after talking to her grandfather, had found out some things. Zouken had learned of her relationship with Shirou, and had ordered her to cultivate a more physical relationship with him. Why he was being so generous, Harry and Rin didn't know, but the old worm was up to something. And as Zelretch headed back to London, Hermione and the others in tow, they learned why: Zouken had somehow learned that the von Einzberns had summoned a Servant.

The months of happier times had proven to be fragile, a false calm before a storm. Sakura relayed information from Zouken suggesting that the Grail War was going to start in a couple of months' time. Why Zouken would do this, they didn't know, but Harry personally thought it was a challenge, an assessment Rin herself considered. As if to say the Magus equivalent of 'come at me, bro'. After all, while it would be frowned upon, killing off Magi who were related to Masters wasn't quite against the rules, especially as Noble Phantasms had the potential to cause massive amounts of collateral damage. Zouken knew this, and was daring them to try to come and get him. Or maybe he hoped that they would get killed in the process: as Zelretch said, it was a dead certainty that a Tohsaka would be chosen, meaning either Harry or Rin.

Still, Harry and Rin made a vow: to use the Holy Grail War as a means of getting Sakura back. For good. Even if she turned out to be the Master for the Matous, they were going to fight to keep her alive, sane, and happy.

The first true step to this came about by chance. A fateful night when Harry met a witch…or rather, a Witch…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry, Rin and Sakura have been strengthening their relationship…but do they have a chance to stop Zouken? Well, next chapter will be Medea's debut! Yes, the debut you've all been waiting for.**

 **Zouken, of course, is planning on Harry trying to do something stupid during the Grail War. He's pushing Shirou and Sakura together so that, when something happens to Harry and/or Shirou, she breaks in the way he wants her to. While this story will be based more on the** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **route, there will be strong flavours of** ** _Heaven's Feel_** **.**

 **Incidentally, this would've been posted sooner, but uploading the documents to Document Manager has been troublesome lately, so while I have a whole bunch of chapters to post, it may take some time, depending.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	9. Chapter 7: Medea

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **MEDEA**

On a notion, Harry had been checking some texts at Ryuudou Temple for anything that might be useful for dealing with Zouken. He had claimed to the monks that he was researching Buddhist rituals, particularly those relating to exorcism. Harry had good enough relations with Issei and Kuzuki to be given access (the former being there, but the latter still at the school), having taken the day off while repairs were made to the library. Unfortunately, none of the rituals seemed to be of any use.

Still, the Bounded Field around the temple seemed to be excellent against Heroic Spirits: they could only enter through the front gate. Maybe it was something he could study when he had more time. Harry decided to head down the mountain first before Apparating back to the Tohsaka Manor, disappointed by the lack of useful information. He had hoped he would find anything that could help him. Hell, he'd even accept the help of a Caster Servant, despite hearing about the depravities of the Caster Servant of the previous Grail War.

Well, some people may have cautioned him to be careful of what he wished for, lest he got it. Then again, to use another cliché, it was the beginning of a very beautiful friendship.

It had begun to rain, and Harry cursed the fact that he had forgotten to get an umbrella. He was just reaching the bottom of the stairs leading up to Ryuudou Temple when he heard a sound, of something pushing its way through the nearby undergrowth. He was instantly on edge. "Who's there?" he demanded.

From behind a nearby tree staggered an extraordinary figure. Dressed in dark robes, with a hood, the slender figure should have been sinister. But its posture was pathetic, weak. A throaty, weak chuckle emanated from the hood, and Harry realised, with a start, that the figure was a woman. "Just a ghost whose time is passed," she muttered.

A ghost? Sensing no immediate threat, Harry gingerly took a few steps forward. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" the woman retorted, lavender hair spilling out from underneath her hood, blue lips pursed in annoyance, resignation…and sorrow. Tear tracks were just visible on her face. Then, after a moment, she said, "My apologies. I am just…I am dying."

"Can I do anything to help? I can bring you home, give you shelter," Harry said. "Medical treatment?"

The woman seemed about to retort, only to swoon. Harry dashed forward, catching her as she fell, and called out, "FAWKES!" In a burst of fire and song, the Phoenix appeared. Grabbing onto Harry, who held onto the woman, the three of them vanished.

* * *

A few minutes later, when Souichirou Kuzuki came across the scene, he saw nothing but footsteps. He had heard, distantly, the strange ethereal song, and found his hollow heart, for the first time, touched. No smile came to his lips, but the lifelong killer's steps up the stairs were considerably lighter than they had been. Even if this time around, he wouldn't know the love of a strange, sorrowful woman, there was a slight lifting of the burden he carried…

* * *

Rin wasn't home, having gone to Kirei to discuss matters about the upcoming Holy Grail War. Harry thought better her than him. Something about Kirei had him on edge. The fact that the man, in the admittedly few times he had met him, had some sort of vague attitude of schadenfreude.

Anyway, Fawkes brought them into the study, and Harry look at Fawkes. "Can your tears help?"

The bird nodded, and he wept tears into the woman's mouth. She coughed and spluttered, but was soon sitting up, her hood falling away. And Harry couldn't help but stare at the woman's features.

She looked like an elf from the pages of Tolkien, her lavender hair framing beautiful features that nonetheless held great sorrow in them, and not just from the tear streaks marring her cheeks. Her eyes were sky blue, and her ears were pointed. It was hard to tell what her age was: while inhumanly and agelessly beautiful, he got the sense that she was at least in her thirties if not older.

She licked her lips, frowning. "Phoenix Tears. A powerful antidote and restorative. And filled with enough mana to give me a boost. But I had thought Phoenixes had gone extinct by this time."

"It's a long story," Harry said, his suspicions about who, or rather, what this woman was beginning to grow. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Harry Tohsaka. Are you a Magus too?"

The woman chuckled, the sound being bitter. "In a manner. As you are a Magus, I can tell you what I am. You may call me Caster."

"A Servant…" Harry murmured in horrified realisation. He had just brought an enemy into his family home. But then, why had she been at death's door when he found her? "And your Master?"

"Dead," Caster said bluntly.

Harry looked at her. She seemed singularly lacking in any kind of sympathy for her Master, which didn't bode well. If she was willing to vanish from the world to be rid of a Master, then that meant bad things about her, or her former Master. "And your Master? His name?"

"Atrum Galliasta."

Harry frowned. He knew the name. An alchemy specialist of considerable note, Zelretch had dismissed him as a third-rate hack who was rumoured to kidnap people for use in his experiments, and who had bought his way into Clock Tower. A bit more amoral than the average Magus, then, if not immoral.

And then, he realised, this could very well be the golden opportunity he had been hoping for. He had wanted a Caster Servant, and one had fallen right into his lap. The question was, could he trust her?

After a moment's consideration, he went over to the Pensieve he had set up in the study. To visitors, the few that came, it was an ornamental fountain he had picked up in his travels. Not entirely incorrect: he had stolen it from Dumbledore's office after the dust had settled, though he had it redecorated. "Do you know what this is?"

Caster stood, and walked over. "I can guess. It seems like a certain type of scrying vessel used to house memories and view them."

"Exactly. I wish to see your memories. At the very least, those around your summoning and your Master," Harry said. "If I'm satisfied…"

"You wish for me to become your Servant?" Caster asked, raising a lavender eyebrow.

"I'd ask you, yes," Harry said.

"How polite," Caster said, with a sardonic edge to her tone. "And what if I refuse to let you see my memories?"

"Then you can go and find someone else. Or maybe I can tell my sister to make a contract with you, though she seems set on getting a Saber when the time comes."

Caster seemed to debate with herself, before she grimaced. "My time runs short. Very well."

Harry took out his wand. He rarely used it nowadays, but it still had its uses. "Please bring the memories you want me to see to the forefront of your…"

"Kindly do not lecture me, Tohsaka. I have used similar means before, though I had thought they had gone the way of the Olympians," Caster snapped, a little irritably.

"Okay," Harry said, before gently touching the wand to her temple, and drawing out the silvery threads, which he dropped into the Pensieve. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he put his head into it…

* * *

Caster watched as the young man shoved his head into the scrying bowl. She sighed quietly to herself as she sat back down. While she hadn't given him any highlights from her mortal life, she had given him the unedited time she had been summoned by that fool Atrum Galliasta. And while she wasn't averse to using amoral or even immoral methods, she had some standards, and in any case, Atrum's methods of harvesting mana from kidnapped people was ridiculously inefficient. The act of a third-rate Magus she had said, perhaps a little unwisely but certainly truthfully.

But that petty, petulant man, already incensed at Caster's inability to summon a Dragon (through the Golden Fleece), had promptly used a Command Seal to force her to not use Rule Breaker on him. While that was prudent, she had to admit, calling her a backstabbing witch, while not inaccurate, was just rude. Being hit by that hack was just adding insult to injury. She'd already suspected he had little respect for women, what with his harem of what appeared to be Homunculi. Probably turned them off with his attitude, so he had to make his own in a vat or something. And his intentions to wait out the Grail War until the fighting was almost over offended her. Being on the defensive was one thing, but there were times when she'd have to make a sortie, and she would love to vanquish her foes, albeit on her own terms.

In any case, she wondered whether this Harry Tohsaka was any better. In a way, this young man reminded her rather unpleasantly of Jason. Not with any unpleasant aspects to his nature, but anything that reminded her of her first husband was unpleasant just by association. Of the Argonauts, the only one she even maintained any kind of friendship with after her relationship with Jason turned sour was that oaf Heracles, and maybe that was due to their sharing the tendency of being shat upon by the Olympians.

In a way, that was one of the reasons why she was allowing this boy to see her memories, at least of those after she was summoned. There was a quality in his eyes that wasn't unlike Heracles', of a weariness, of having the weight of the world on one's shoulders as much as Atlas had the sky on his. Despite his apparently young age, there seemed to be something old to him, too experienced.

She could erase his memories of her identity before she left, perhaps even the memories of her meeting him. If…no, _when_ he decided to reject her.

Still, the Phoenix had helped save her, even if temporarily. She reached out a hand to stroke its head on an idle whim, and to her astonishment, it allowed her to, trilling sadly. "You'd allow me to touch you?" she asked softly. "I don't need your pity, any more than I need his." A little less bitterly, but certainly sadly, she added, "You're still a magnificent bird. And thank you for your gift of tears. Even if I don't deserve them."

The Phoenix trilled again, as if to suggest that it gave the tears to her freely, of its own will. "Do you know him that well? Can I trust him?" The Phoenix nodded. "The question is, will he trust me?" she said to herself. Phoenixes, unless bound against their will, were reputed to be marvellous judges of character, though that this one assented to allow her to touch it, let alone heal her with its tears, seemed to put the lie to this. She wasn't worth helping.

Some minutes later, Tohsaka finished reviewing her memories, removing his head from the scrying bowl, and looking at her. She expected the wariness in his eyes, the lack of trust. She hadn't edited her name out of the memories. But there was something else in those emerald eyes. Pity? No, nothing as lacking as pity. No, there was something else. There was an empathy there…and perhaps even hope.

"I have a few questions before we go on," he said. "The first is, are you willing to avoid going after innocents for mana?"

"Yes, if you are my Master. I would prefer not to anyway."

"And if I spare the life of an enemy Master, you will be fine with that?"

"Why? Do you particularly feel inclined to be merciful?"

"I'm just worried that my family and friends may get caught up in this as Masters," Tohsaka said. "Even if it meant just putting them into a coma until the Grail War was over or something, though I don't think I'd have to go that far. And I'd prefer to only kill a Master if they're more like your former Master."

"I will consider it, but if that Master is an immediate threat to you, I will end that threat," Caster said. She didn't know whether having a Master with scruples was any better, but then again, he did seem to acknowledge that there were Masters he might have to kill, and was willing to.

"Right. And to make things clear…I won't use the Command Seals on you unless I find them necessary," Tohsaka said. "Anyway, my last question: do you know of any way to remove or transmute Crest Worms in someone into benign magic circuits without killing or crippling the host?"

Caster couldn't help her eyes widening in shock. Those vile things were still being used as familiars in this day and age?! That was appalling, to say the least. She looked Tohsaka in the eyes once her shock and disgust had died down, and nodded. "It is possible," she admitted truthfully. "But devising the proper ritual will take a considerable amount of time, and we will have little to spare if we are going to fight in this."

So, he wanted to use her skills and abilities for something other than the Grail War? Well, at least he was being upfront about it. Judging by the emotion in his face, it was a friend or a relative.

"Oh thank Merlin," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "I'm sorry to ask you, but I was told that only a Magus from the Age of the Gods would be able to do this. My youngest sister, you see. Since she was six. _Since she was_ _ **six**_ ," he repeated in disgust, a disgust Caster shared. Crest Worms were bad enough in adults, but in a child? She found her maternal instincts, long since buried, rising to the fore once more. And he was doing this for his family.

Well, there were worst motives, she supposed. She was surprised, though, when he walked over to her, and then went to one knee in front of her, gently taking his hands in her own. The contact allowed her to feel his magic, his mana. It awakened her avarice, and she wanted that, _she wanted that_ _ **now**_. His emerald eyes met her own.

And then, he asked, quietly, "Princess Medea of Colchis, will you stand by my side to save my sister, and to win the Grail War?"

Not Caster. Not the Witch of Betrayal. He had addressed her by her name and title, not with respect meant for her station, but respect for a fellow human, not a ghost whose time had passed. She realised that, despite his wariness, he was reaching a hand out in trust. He _wanted_ to trust her, despite knowing who she was.

The choice was a surprisingly easy one. In any case, she could always sever their contract. So Medea said, "Yes. I will."

He nodded, before he closed his eyes, and began reciting. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world!"

In response, she declared, knowing this was a step into the unknown, "Servant Caster accepts your contract!"

And that's when she felt it. The surge of mana. This was much more than she could have expected from a Magus of this time. It was different too, but not in a bad way. If anything, she felt a flush come to her cheeks. She felt herself become more solid, less tenuous. She saw the Command Seals appear on his hand. It seemed that the Grail had granted him the Command Seals. She noticed, oddly, that they seemed to be rather simpler than she thought they'd be, especially in comparison to Atrum's. They consisted of a triangle with a bisected circle within it.

He looked at his hand, and the way his eyes widened suggested he recognised the symbol. "Figures," he muttered, as he stood. And then, he offered her his hand, to help her up.

The gesture touched her. He had to have known that she was far from weak. And yet, he offered it out of politeness. So she took his hand, and got to her feet. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, I think you and I have to find a way to explain this to my other sister, the one I live with. She's a Magus, and may yet become a Master, so…" He flinched, and Medea heard a door slam downstairs. "Okay, Plan A's gone tits-up. So, Medea…you might want to brace yourself. Rin's got a bit of a temper…"

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Medea, and has become her Master. Unfortunately, Typhoon Rin might have some trouble with that…**

 **Review-answering time!** **YDdraigGoch94** **: I was unaware that the concept of an Incarnation it was fanon, but hey.**

 **NecrorexSparda Juubi-n-Kishin** **: Eventually, Shirou will access his Reality Marble.**

 **KyonSmith13** **: I've no idea whether Zelretch can do that.**

 **206er** **: It was actually a reference to the spinoff series** ** _Fate/Kaleid Prisma Illya_** **, where they gain Kaleidosticks, sentient foci that talk…and at least one of them is perverted.**

 **Vangran** **: I'm portraying, as noted above, her Master as being somewhat like canon. Not a rapist, but not a nice person at all. I mean, in the** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **anime, Atrum seems to have a harem, probably of Homunculi.**

 **cameronsweet5** **: One of the things that annoys me about fanfics is an utterly omniscient Zelretch, so while I did portray him as being completely aware of the contamination of the Grail in** ** _Perils of Magical Investigative Journalism_** **, in other works, I have him as being aware that something might be wrong with the Grail, but unable to tell for sure, otherwise, having him turn up and say what's wrong may make the plot boring, robbing it of conflict. I fear for the universe, though, if the Doctor and Zelretch ever met. Speaking of which, I have posted a challenge (NOT a story) in the forums of DZ2 and whitetigerwolf called** ** _Battlefield: Brave Shine_** **. For anyone interested, it's an AU of the classic series** ** _Doctor Who_** **story** ** _Battlefield_** **…with the Nasuverse versions of Mordred and Arturia. Seriously, can you imagine the reactions of Ace and Lethbridge-Stewart to finding out that King Arthur was a woman? Or that Excalibur can unleash a massive blast of energy?**

 **jgkitarel** **: Yes. She won't be as dangerous as canon, partly due to not draining energy from all and sundry, as well as avoiding collateral damage, but she is still dangerous because she's cunning and ruthless.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: So why isn't there a crossover along those lines? I mean, apart from, I think, one or two brief moments in sakurademonalchemist's stories.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: I'm going to use 'cougar' more than 'MILF' to describe Medea. And you're right about Shirou, though he's still an endearing character. I'm sorry to hear that you have PTSD, too, and I didn't know you had those conditions. That being said, how I develop Harry and the other characters is my business, and my business alone.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	10. Chapter 8: Settling In

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **SETTLING IN**

Indeed, it took Harry making some tea for all of them for Rin to calm down even remotely. Medea looked on the whole thing with amusement. Then again, given her skill compared to modern Magi, she could probably afford to be, Harry thought.

He didn't tell Rin Caster's real name, not yet. He doubted that Rin would react well to having Medea of Colchis around, infamous as the Witch of Betrayal was. Just having a Caster Servant in the same house as another possible Master was bad enough, given her eye-twitching. He got the impression she wanted to use him as target practise for Gandr curses. He had persuaded Medea to leave her hood down, showing her face. The Greek witch was currently stroking the head of Fawkes, and it was heartening to see Fawkes allowing this.

After taking some calming sips of tea, Rin got her temper under control enough for Harry to explain what happened. He didn't state how Medea broke off with her Master, only that he died. "I see. As it happened, Kirei actually told me that Caster's Master approached him, wanting to summon a new Servant. He didn't tell me any details beyond that, save that Caster's Master was going to approach Lancer's Master for help." She still looked at Medea suspiciously, but added, "I have heard something about Atrum Galliasta. If what you claim is true, then good riddance. Being on the defensive while having a Caster is good sense, but not even bothering to go out and fight is another matter. And that's without going into how he harvested mana. _Ugh_. No doubt Kirei will have to deal with cleaning up that mess."

"I am pleased that we agree, Miss Tohsaka," Medea said. "And I did encounter Lancer, albeit briefly. I managed to flee, though not before he managed to catch me with that damnable spear of his. Would you like a description of him?"

"That would be great, Caster," Harry said.

"Very well. Lancer is a lean but muscled man, in a blue bodysuit with silver shoulder guards. His hair is blue, with a ponytail, and his eyes are red with slitted pupils. Rather handsome, too, though rather cocky-looking. He wields a single red and rather phallic-looking spear, about two metres long, presumably his Noble Phantasm. He speaks with an Irish accent. I can make guesses to his identity, but they'd be only guesses unless I witnessed him using a Noble Phantasm. And as I am not one of the Knight classes of Saber, Archer, or Lancer, I am not sure I'd want to experience it."

"We can rule out Diarmuid of the Love Spot," Harry mused. "I asked Waver for a few details on the Grail War after we heard about the von Einzberns summoning a Servant, and he said Diarmuid was the Lancer of the previous Grail War. Not to mention he was dark-haired and wielded two spears. And there was the famous love spot."

"He didn't have a love spot where I could see any, so your assumption is probably correct. In any case, it would also have registered to me as a charm spell, given Diarmuid's legend." Something in Medea's tone and expression suggested she might have attacked him for it. Given that, in at least one variation of the Argonauts story, Medea was made to fall in love with Jason by Aphrodite, Harry could understand her issues.

"Still, Kirei told me that the von Einzberns have confirmed that their Servant is a Berserker, but little else besides. That means that the remaining classes to be summoned are Rider, Saber, Archer and Assassin," Rin said. "If Lancer finds Caster, he may finish the job he started."

"Calm yourself, girl," Medea said. "I am a Magus from the Age of the Gods, and have forgotten more magecraft than you will ever learn in this diminished era. The Bounded Fields around this place are fairly good for what they are, but they need bolstering. I was originally thinking of setting up shop at Ryuudou Temple, given the leyline convergence there, but this house is built on a similar convergence. It is a little less protected, though: Ryuudou Temple has a Bounded Field protecting it from spirits, save through the main gate, but I believe I can set up a similar protection. Maybe not as effective, but it would make it a fortress against Heroic Spirits."

"You would do that?" Rin asked, albeit bristling a bit at being called 'girl', and Medea's admittedly patronising tone.

"Consider it something that benefits the three of us. As my Master, it would be wise of me to help your brother," Medea said. "He has also made it very clear that, even if you become a Master yourself, he values your life too much to simply end it if you end up as opponents. And as a Caster, my speciality is in Territory Creation. I am at my strongest in my home base, so to speak. Making a strong, secure base is my specialty, beyond being a prodigious Magus."

"And what abilities do you have in magecraft?" Rin asked.

"Many things. I won't expose all of my abilities. Besides my professional pride as a Magus, what little there is left of it, you may become an enemy Master. Rest assured, with an adequate supply of mana, I am fairly capable in combat. I can utilise magic that would normally require a ten-count aria by today's standards with ease. Indeed, should I set up my territory correctly, I can effectively utilise what may be close to True Magic. I am still one of the weaker combatants, but your brother's supply of mana has helped boost my attributes."

"I see," Rin said. "Then you should begin at once, Caster. Leaving aside Lancer coming to kill you and possibly us, there's someone living nearby who is very dangerous, and it would not do to have him learn that a Servant is present, not so soon, anyway."

"You mean Zouken?" Harry asked.

Rin nodded. "He may have other means, but best not to make it easy for him. As you also claim to be able to be capable of helping my sister, I will accept your presence for now. While Harry is older due to…shenanigans, I am the heir and thus family head of the Tohsaka family. He has agreed to not demand the Tohsaka Magic Crest…though his own magic is so damned…hax, isn't that what Zelretch called it?"

"He's infected you, hasn't he?" Harry said deadpan. "Anyway, you're still much better at Jewelcraft than I am, not to mention all sorts of magecraft. Tokiomi at least gave you a well-rounded education in magecraft, as did Kirei. Most of the stuff I learned is not exactly useful. Not unless I wanted to turn a matchstick into a needle or learn to read tea leaves like a dipsomaniac would. And my combat magic education was pretty inconsistent. Had to teach myself and my peers one year." Harry shuddered at the thought of the Batrachian Bitch known as Umbridge.

Medea tittered. "Sounds like a rather potted education. Still, I can tell even from here that your sister has considerable power as a Magus for one so young. If you had lived in my time, I am sure that you could have learned things modern Magi could only dream of, Miss Tohsaka. Though, that reminds me…you two claim to be siblings, but you are clearly of different ethnicities. Was there some sort of Blood Adoption?"

"Me being adopted into another family, but yes," Harry said. "Parallel universes with differing time flows and magic systems were involved. Like Rin said, shenanigans."

"So I see." Medea continued to stroke Fawkes' head. "Still, my own family was complicated, to say the least. It's good to see Magi siblings actually cooperating."

"My brother's as infectious as Zelretch," Rin sighed in irritation that was partly theatrical. "He's headstrong and irritating, but he's endearing. Plus, he's a good cook."

Harry nodded, before he looked at Medea. "I think we need to make arrangements. Caster, what would be a better use of your time? Would you be staying here to work on your territory, or could you act as my guard? In case something goes wrong?"

"Until the Grail War begins, I will stay here for the most part. You can call for me via our link, and unlike most Servants, I can teleport without the use of Command Seals."

"And I can teleport myself, well, Apparate," Harry said. "I'm no slouch when it comes to magical combat, despite the potted education, but I'm not sure I can do much against a Servant, especially against one with magic resistance. It's pretty flashy magic, which would only complicate things around here with the witness issue."

"Well, hopefully, there won't be much danger quite yet," Medea said, looking at Rin. "With three Servants summoned so far, the Grail War may not start heating up until more are summoned. Not that that's an excuse to not be vigilant."

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Harry bellowed in his best Mad-Eye impression. However, that only earned him a glare from Rin and Medea, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

* * *

The next week passed fairly well. The tension between Rin and Medea eased, even if it never went away, especially after Harry revealed what happened to Atrum. Still, Rin approved of the new changes to the Bounded Fields, albeit grudgingly.

Thankfully, Harry sharing the Workshop he had in his expanded trunk with Medea seemed to gain some points with the Greek Magus. Then again, Rin was wary of allowing Medea into her Workshop or Tokiomi's. Hell, even Harry hadn't been allowed there at first.

Recently, Rin had uncovered a box locked by a code from Tokiomi's will, and had opened it. To her curiosity, there were a number of jewels, and what looked like a broken-up fossil of a snake. Rin speculated that it was the catalyst Tokiomi had used to summon his Archer Servant.

Harry had to call Kirei and let him know he had gained custody of the Caster Servant. He wasn't sure whether he should go to the church. Kirei sounded amused, though, as if expecting Medea to stab him in the back like she did to Atrum…figuratively.

At his request, he had asked to see her memories of her life, in exchange for her seeing his own. She had accepted reluctantly. After reviewing her life, it was his considered opinion that he voiced out loud to her (much to her shock, and eventual mirth) that Jason was a fucking idiot, that Aphrodite was an utter bitch, and that he didn't want to get into a fight with Heracles.

(He had no way of knowing that, as he thought that, in a snowbound forest in Germany, a hulking mass of muscle had sneezed, causing an albino girl to become concerned for the welfare of her Berserker Servant.)

Okay, she did a lot of bad things, quite evil things…but her first act of betrayal, against her father, King Aeëtes, was thanks to the gods instilling her infatuation with Jason. Her murder of her own brother was under that influence…and the Argonauts mostly turned on her because of something that was caused by the gods, not of her own true will. And when Jason was offered the hand of Glauce, the princess of Corinth, he accepted, rejecting Medea, who had been loyal to him, even if that loyalty was through divine brainwashing. That triggered her greatest rampage.

So, on being reborn through the Grail, Harry noted that she had helped save Atrum's captives, even though she could have left them to die when destroying his Workshop, or even consumed their souls to fuel herself. It said more about her character than anything else. At the very least this was someone seeking redemption for her sins. Unlike Snape, who was driven purely by self-interest and his infatuation with Lily, Medea, he felt, had a genuine desire for redemption, coupled with a decent character, tainted by her history.

Then, it was her turn to see his life's story. When she finished, she was staring at him with mixed feelings. She'd already made her disdain towards heroes rather plain while talking to him, given her experience with the Argonauts. She had met many heroes, including Jason, Heracles, Orpheus, and the sole female Argonaut, the huntress Atalanta.

And yet, his life had moved her. Probably because his life as a hero was filled with betrayal. The fickleness of the public, Dumbledore acting like a mentor while planning for Harry to either martyr himself or become a symbol more than a person, Snape being…well, himself…

Whatever it was, Medea was moved. When they looked back upon these events, they knew that the night he saved her, along with this moment, had been when the seeds had been sown, for a relationship that went beyond that of Master and Servant. Because they understood each other. There was an empathy there, between the Witch of Betrayal, and the Boy Who Lived…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, Medea and the Tohsakas have come to an agreement. And the first hints of Harry/Medea have begun…**

 **Oh, incidentally, if you're in the mood for something else, I've been busily updating my** ** _Red vs Blue/Overlord_** **crossover** ** _Xenagogy for Belligerent AIs and Dungeon Denizens_** **alongside uploading chapters of this story. If you want to see Church kicking arse instead of Momonga, go read it. Yeah, I know, shameless plugging, but hey, who wouldn't want to see a foul-mouthed AI in denial kick arse?**

 **Review-answering time!** **JeanneShinn** **: We will get to that later. Harry will get himself a new focus at the least.**

 **Lu Bane Na** **: You underestimate her. You know what they say about experience and treachery winning over youth and energy. Medea has dealt with the Argonauts and the like. A** ** _tsundere_** **in a criminally-short miniskirt, as you put it, is no match for Medea.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: Sadly, I think Alaya would have a perverse sense of humour, though Death of the Endless being involved would be funny.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 9: Sparks

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **SPARKS**

It was on the weekend following Harry finding Medea that he decided to take her on a tour of Fuyuki. Technically, she could view these areas remotely via a viewing crystal, but Harry thought it best for her to see it for herself. In any case, Harry thought that Medea could stand to have some time to enjoy herself, and he wanted her opinion on the Fuyuki Fire, and the effect it left.

Oddly enough, Medea chose a denim jacket over a black top and a tan skirt for her mundane clothes. Her ears were concealed by a charm. And she actually enjoyed the walk around the city.

"It's so strange," she murmured as she looked at the distant skyscrapers as they walked down a relatively quiet street. "I've never seen cities like this. They are wonders, and yet horrors. Some of these places lack spirit and character."

"Welcome to the modern age," Harry said. "The wizards in the world I grew up in sneered at the mundanes, Muggles, they called them. Well, not all of them, but the older families did. I mean, you have a point, but I grew up with Muggles, and even if I hated the Dursleys, and that few people did anything about it…well, in the end, wizards' follies are those of humanity, just magnified. Ditto Magi."

"Hmm. Oh, it's still certainly novel, and I'm not saying this time is without spirit or character. But with the passing of the Gods…well, as much as I detest the Olympians for what they did to me, there is something gone from the world with their passing." She chuckled ruefully. "It makes me feel old, like a relic from the past."

"You look good for it," Harry said.

"Flatterer," she said with a smile. "Still, I'm glad I got to experience it. The Grail gave me knowledge, but experiencing what it fed me is another. To tell the truth, I actually enjoyed my travels…until it all went wrong. It was all so…novel, to someone raised mostly within a palace. I'm only telling you this because you've seen my life already."

"And you've seen mine."

"Yes. Though it's little comfort to learn how your life was stage-managed as thoroughly as my own was, if not more so," Medea remarked. "Still, to achieve what you did at your age is admirable."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. Actually, I'm curious. From what Rin told me, most Servants have a desire for the Grail themselves, and the Grail is supposed to be primed by at least six Servants to make a wish for Master and Servant. Now, Rin wants the Grail because, well, it's her duty as a Tohsaka, and if you're able to help Sakura, then I don't need the Grail. But what do you want the Grail for?"

She only hesitated briefly. "I desire a second chance. Not in my life in the Age of the Gods, but to be born anew in this era. The Grail is able to reincarnate a Heroic Spirit permanently once primed. I would like a life free from the influence of the Olympians."

"Nice. So, a quiet, relatively happy life?" Harry asked. "Only, the Master of Rider from the last Grail War said that his Servant wanted to be reincarnated so that he could try conquering the world again." On her look, he explained, "He was Iskandar. Alexander the Great of Macedon."

"Ah. That man," Medea said. "And you are quite right in surmising I would prefer a quiet life. Still, let's not count our chickens ere they've hatched…"

* * *

They had tea at a café, before they headed to the park. Even in the late morning, under clear skies, lit by the sun, the park was dismal. However, its effect on Medea was astonishing. She looked very ill at ease. "There's something wrong here," Medea said, shivering almost imperceptibly.

"You feel it too?"

"Probably more than you," she murmured. Thankfully, not many people were nearby, so nobody was about to overhear them. "We Heroic Spirits are affected by such things, given our nature. We're closer to ghosts that can become solid." After a few seconds, she conjured up a jar and a spoon, and began scooping samples of the soil into the jar. "This worries me. For such malice and hatred to permeate the fabric of reality here…something must have gone very wrong with the last Grail War. This can't be caused just by people dying in the fire. It's not far from a Reality Marble, I'd say, at least to spirits."

"Really?" Harry asked. He knew what one was. A Reality Marble was a mental world, one that, under the right circumstances, could temporarily overwrite local reality, transporting those nearby into said world. Iskandar had one himself, the Ionian Hetairoi, a vast desert plain filled with his armies from his life. Possessing one was an automatic Sealing Designation by the Magus Association, given their rarity, and studying any outside of the purview of Clock Tower would bring about the same thing.

"To spirits," Medea clarified, finishing her work and standing, pocketing the jar and erasing the spoon. "I'm going to analyse those. You told me that the Master of Saber attacked the Grail."

"He died five years ago, of some sort of illness," Harry said. "But we suspected it might have been a curse."

"I think you're right. Why would destroying the Grail cause a curse, then? A defence mechanism built into the Grail?"

"I dunno. Magi are spiteful at the best of times, and I wouldn't be surprised if the von Einzberns did do something to prevent their opponents from winning. Kiritsugu Emiya was their representative, though." And Kirei, who was the one who told them of Kiritsugu destroying the Grail, was not exactly a reliable eyewitness. "Then again, Zelretch did point out something interesting. Your predecessor in the previous Grail War was Gilles de Rais, during his time as Bluebeard. The Grail should not have been able to summon the likes of him, a Heroic Spirit who was a vile murderer. Maybe during his time as one of Joan of Arc's knights, but…"

"I see your point," Medea mused. "Though I'm not exactly a hero myself, Heroic Spirit or not. My myth is well known, true, but because of infamy rather than heroism."

"Yeah, well, when people like to read about heroes or villains…they generally aren't interested in the people, just the images built up around them," Harry said quietly.

An uncomfortable silence passed between them, before Medea said, "I think we should get out of here. I dislike this place immensely…"

* * *

The tour went on for a bit longer, but it had been soured by the interlude at the park, and they went back to Tohsaka Manor for lunch. Medea, while she didn't need food, did appreciate eating it. Then, after lunch, she left for her Workshop. They had discussed their findings with Rin, who shuddered. "If the von Einzberns did boobytrap the Grail…damn them. They like interfering. Remember what happened in the Third Holy Grail War?"

"You mean Avenger?" Harry asked. It was in one of the history books that the von Einzbern Master tinkered with the Grail to summon a different class of Servant: Avenger. Not much was known about said Servant, only that it was swiftly killed, the von Einzbern's trump card proving to be a damp squib. They had been researching the Grail War once they realised it was starting again, too early.

"Yeah. Still, Caster feeling the way she did, like it was a Reality Marble filled with grudges and hatred…" Rin mused. "This is disturbing. I managed to find some of my father's notes on the Grail, how it can be transformed into a gateway to Akasha, the Root of All Things."

Harry nodded. "Hence why he wanted it so badly." The Root, after all, contained information from past, present, and future. Someone with even a small amount of access to it could gain substantial power. Even the partial opening done by the sacrifice of six Servants allowed wishes to be granted to a degree.

"Right. But a curse within the Grail might end up within the Root, and if it's a particularly bad curse…" Rin said. "Not that it should be a concern: you'd need a curse on a par with a Magus from the Age of the Gods at the bare minimum, but the von Einzberns, powerful though they are, probably aren't that good. Besides, spiteful though they are, I doubt they'd want to risk tainting the Root deliberately. Let's hope Caster can find something. As wary as I am having that woman in this house, she has her uses. I wonder how much magecraft we can learn from her?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "She's from the Age of the Gods, it's not like you can learn it by rote from her. Then again…well, I guess if you ask politely, she might show us a few tricks. But we have more important things. The Grail, and Sakura…"

* * *

Harry found Medea in their shared Workshop in his trunk, assaying soil samples in test tubes. The Workshop, like many Magi Workshops, looked like a hybrid of laboratory and an alchemist's lair. "Anything yet, Medea?"

"Very little that is definite, and I'm not sure there will be. The only definite thing is that there are strong traces of mana that correspond with the Grail," Medea said, her lips pursing. "And there is something like a strong curse, but it's defying analysis. I doubt even with what techniques I can bring to bear, it will give up any real secrets. Which is worrying. That means it's unlikely to be recent magecraft. It's old, ancient. It may have been old during the Age of the Gods. It could have been potentially used by modern Magi, but it's not modern magecraft. I can't tell you anything more about it, and I'm not even sure what more I can find out about it. I intend to continue, though. If nothing else, I enjoy a challenge."

"You sound like Rin or Hermione," Harry said with a nostalgic chuckle, despite the disturbing news. "And the ritual for Sakura?"

"The reagents need time to prepare, and I need to meet her myself to analyse her body," Medea said, standing and going over to another bench, checking over some notes. "You said you sometimes have meals with her and another boy, Shirou Emiya, you said. I would like to take the opportunity to do so soon."

"Right. Just don't take it personally if Taiga is there and she thinks you're in a relationship with me," Harry said. "She was already pretty weird about Shirou and Sakura being together."

"And what should we say to her?" Medea asked.

"I dunno. What do you think?"

"Well, I could always say that I eloped with a man who bewitched me and had me steal my inheritance, only to get dumped for a little strumpet in return, and you helped me out," Medea said with a shrug. "It's not far from the truth(1)."

"Well, I said it before, and I'll say it again. Jason was a fucking idiot. And an ungrateful one too. Then again, aside from Athena, they didn't like intelligent women, did they? The Ancient Greeks, I mean. Most of the goddesses are either baby factories or spiteful to an extreme, and most of the heroines were either screwed over or else virgins for life. And don't get me started on the gods. Zeus and Poseidon were serial rapists when they weren't philanderers."

Medea actually laughed, even if it was tinged with bitterness. "Your assessment is not inaccurate. So…what do you think of me, then?"

Harry was caught off-guard by the question. Eventually, he said, "I think you got a bad hand. If it weren't for Aphrodite…or if Jason stayed faithful to you…personally, I think you deserve a second chance. My mentor was all about forgiveness…though he did it to the point of insanity. But I've seen your life, Medea. I think you deserve someone to love."

"And you? What of you?"

Harry shrugged. "Hermione and Luna are like sisters to me. Ginny dumped me because I wasn't a Potter except by adoption. The fangirls of Magical Britain weren't in love with me, but infatuated with the Boy Who Lived. I'm only 20, Medea, I have time." He then frowned as he wondered at the implication. "Are you…are you asking me that because…"

"I am in love with you?" Medea chuckled mirthlessly. "Perish the thought. If that had been the case by now, I would have thought that Aphrodite's doing once more. I was just curious about my Master and what he thought of me. I am…pleased, Harry. But keep in mind that I have been betrayed very badly when it comes to love. You are attractive and altruistic…but you'll forgive me if I try to keep our relationship on relatively professional terms. Even if we engage in a mana transfer ritual."

"Uhh…wait, do you mean of the tantric variety?" Harry asked, more than a little embarrassed.

"Well, I don't particularly feel like ingesting mana-charged blood," Medea said. "The sheer amount of mana I am getting from our link is already quite prodigious, but if I am to engage in prolonged combat with an enemy Servant, I may need more. As you do not wish for me to involve innocents, and frankly, neither do I, the ritual is our best option."

Harry was blushing more than a little. He had one of the most infamous figures from Greek myth suggesting having sex, even if it was to boost her power. "While I know that's a good idea, you said that more to get a reaction out of me, didn't you?" he asked flatly.

Medea just smirked. "What, am I not attractive?"

"I think the better question is, do I have a chance in hell with someone as beautiful as you?" Harry said.

"Being a legendary figure is a heady aphrodisiac," Medea commented. Then, she turned to face Harry, her expression pensive. "Harry…you do have a chance with someone like me. But you and I have faced betrayals from those who were supposed to love us, even if your betrayal was lesser than my own. Ginny Weasley was a foolish child. Jason, however, should have known better. If nothing else, Harry, know that I am truly grateful to you for saving me, and giving me another chance to win the Grail. You are a much better Master than Atrum Galliasta could ever hope to be, though he sets the bar fairly low. I detest heroes…but I do not detest you personally. Just don't expect this fair maiden to fall head over heels for you."

"…Maiden?" Harry asked, raising a wry eyebrow. Medea's own twitched in annoyance. But even so, this frank discussion, though they didn't know it, had helped matters. Their bond was growing, and they would need it in the time to come…

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Medea's trying to understand Angra Mainyu's curses, and Harry and Medea are growing closer.**

 **Now, if you're wondering at Medea's attitude towards Harry being different towards what she has towards Kuzuki in canon, I should draw your attention to the different circumstances under which they agreed to join forces. In canon, Medea was drawn to Kuzuki not caring who she was, instead helping her without a hidden agenda, and she became desperate to stay with him.**

 **Here, it's rather different. Harry made it clear from the beginning that he needed Medea's skills, but also that he wasn't sure whether to trust her. However, the way he asked for them to join forces touched her, and while they had mild trust issues initially, she realises that she can't blame him. However, he also makes it clear that he's given her a chance, and Medea hasn't become infatuated like she did with Kuzuki. There's some lust that will grow, but as Medea herself pointed out, she hasn't fallen head over heels for him.**

 **Ultimately, it makes it a healthier relationship. As sweet as Kuzuki and Medea can be, it's sort of marred by their, well, plotting to steal the souls of people from Fuyuki to power Medea. It's even more heinous in the original anime adaptation, where they view sacrificing Fuyuki, and even more people around the world, as acceptable to summon the Grail. Kuzuki and Medea are a sweet couple, but very twisted.**

 **Medea and Harry, however, have a different, and perhaps more complex dynamic. Harry deliberately supplicated himself before her to emphasize his desire for her help, even knowing who she was. Medea, while a bit annoyed at having another man use her, is touched by his desire to help a family member, namely Sakura, and she is, admittedly, somewhat greedy for his mana supply. She also feels some small respect for Harry, as he goes out of his way to treat her as an ally rather than a servant, even if she's annoyed at his laying out conditions. Plus, she thinks him physically and psychologically attractive, a feeling that's mutual.**

 **I think another, rather treacherous part of her, has the 'damsel in distress rescued by a handsome knight' thing going, a bit like Ginny after Book 2. Unlike Ginny, and given her experiences in life, Medea is able to temper that impulse, but given how she reacted to Kuzuki's kindness, it's still there.**

 **While Harry is still wary of her, he also respects her as a more powerful Magus. He also thinks of her as someone who may have deserved another chance. Plus, if she can really save Sakura, it helps to be nice to her. Harry also makes it clear that he values Medea beyond being a tool.**

 **At the moment, their relationship is friendly, but relatively platonic, though Medea and Harry are already teasing each other. Yes, Medea's comment about mana transfer rituals was partly meant to get a rise out of Harry: having seen his life, she probably knows what buttons to press. But she also wants to keep their relationship professional, or at least she doesn't want to fall in love again. Of course, she doesn't get what she wants in that regard…though she'll get something she's always wanted, deep down.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Have a Little Feith** **: Well, he's definitely going to be as impulsive as Tidus in, well, charging in without heed to the Yevon scriptures. But you're right, a pre-canon Shirou would be at his best with the Al Bhed.**

 **sandmanwake** **: Harry DOES have magic circuits, but as he hasn't awoken them properly until he came to the Nasuverse, he can't use Nasuverse-style magecraft to its fullest. He has the magic core of Potterverse fanon. However, he knows the basics of Jewelcraft, he will learn how to use the Gandr and Finn curses, and a few other things. He may not be anywhere near Rin's level with Nasuverse magecraft, but with Potterverse magic, he doesn't need to.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: I think the Goblins allowed him to do it because they felt it would fuck up Magical Britain's economy a little, and while they would survive, the wizards may not be able to weather it as much. I do get sick and tired of stories where Harry's fortune makes up a substantial part of Magical Britain's economy, though, so this was more of a minor blip to it. And Arc as Luna's mother? VERY scary thought. Can True Ancestors breed with humans, though? Shirou won't be at the level you seem to want him to be at, though. He'll be a more competent Magus by the events of** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **canon, but he won't access Unlimited Blade Works until later. Most of his improvement will be to his mana supply, so Arturia won't be as in danger of running on fumes as in canon. That being said, during the fight against Berserker, he does Project a bow and a quiver of arrows on Harry's suggestion. And I had written the chapter where his Command Seals appear long before you suggested it, so I didn't take your suggestion. It was just serendipity.**

 **Lu Bane Na** **: Ah, I see. I've never watched** ** _Code Ment_** **, though. Probably because my interest in** ** _Code Geass_** **is mild at best.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: Yes, but keep in mind that Rin and Medea are meeting as potential allies.**

 **Lancelot Du Loc** **: This is really a function of my only having experienced** ** _Fate/Zero_** **and** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **. I want to wait until I have an opportunity to watch** ** _Fate/Apocrypha_** **before I start bringing in Servants from that in earnest, as I don't want to rely on fanfic as an indication of their characters. And while you are correct in my bringing in Frankenstein's Monster as Berserker in** ** _Gorgon and Thanatos_** **, I did bring in Jack the Ripper for my first Potterverse crossover** ** _Perils of Magical Investigative Journalism_** **. I do want to do at least one story with Mordred at a later date.**

 **1\. Given the influence of** ** _Path of the King_** **on this story, it was inevitable that I made a sly reference to it. In that story, Medea (using the alias of 'Megissa') is confronted by Taiga about her presence at the Emiya household. She effectively retells her own myth, but with enough lies of omission that it works. Taiga is promptly reduced to a sympathetic bawling wreck.**


	12. Chapter 10: The Wizard, the Witch, and

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **THE WITCH, THE WIZARD, AND THE WORM**

Medea of Colchis found herself sympathising with Sakura Matou, formerly Sakura Tohsaka. She certainly found her more lovable than Rin. Then again, maybe that was because Rin grew up in privilege, somewhat bratty. Plus, Rin and Medea were both women with strong egos, so said egos clashing was to be expected.

Sakura, though, was more quiet and demure. She reminded Medea of herself when she was about the same age, though Sakura was, well, broken. Medea hadn't been broken, not truly, until Jason turned on her. Everything else, her fratricide, the suspicion and contempt of most of the Argonauts, she could have borne.

The Fujimura woman was interesting, if annoying. Medea knew that her sanitised version of her legend had brought some favour from the energetic teacher. Though the woman's insinuations that Medea may be a 'cougar' were immensely irritating: the Grail gave her some knowledge of the idioms of this time period, after all.

Anyway, once the Tiger had been fed and slunk off home, Medea went to work, analysing Sakura's body while Harry and Shirou looked on. What she found there was appalling, to say the least. Zouken Matou had instantly shot to the top of her shitlist (Jason and Aphrodite being excluded on account of being dead, though if Jason was summoned as a Servant, she would not be held responsible for her actions) for what he did to his adopted granddaughter. She swore quietly in ancient Greek, even as she took a sample of blood for more detailed analysis.

And then, she saw things that complicated matters. Finishing the scan, she sat back, and muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I need some strong drink. The good news is, given time, I can convert the Crest Worms into a benign Magic Crest. The bad news is that there's more than Crest Worms inside you, Sakura, and while I can deal with one of the issues, there's an unknown factor."

"What is it, Caster?" Sakura asked.

Medea gently poked Sakura in the sternum, between her breasts. "You have a Crest Worm right next to your heart. That would be bad enough, if it weren't for the fact that it has a phylactery inside it."

"A what?" Shirou asked.

"A soul receptacle," Medea said. "I'd be willing to bet that that foul canker of a soul fragment I found in my analysis is that of Zouken Matou. But that could be an opportunity. If I modified the ritual accordingly, not only could I purge his soul from your body, Sakura, but indeed purge it entirely from existence, send it to the Root where it belongs. That being said…there's something else within your body. Something that seems very like whatever tainted the park. Though how it came to be inside you…I'm not sure I can purge it from your body, not without triggering it coming to life."

"A soul fragment?" Harry muttered. "He really is like Voldemort. Caster, can you at least prevent whatever that taint is from taking Sakura over?"

"I can try," Medea said. "Suppression rather than removal seems like the safer option. I'm sorry I can't help you in any other way, Sakura."

"Thank you anyway, Caster," Sakura said with a sad smile, filled with pain.

"I appreciate the gratitude, but it was your brother who persuaded me to help you," Medea said.

"All the same, thank you, Caster," Shirou said. "I don't want Sakura to suffer any more."

"Life is suffering, boy," Medea retorted. "There is needless suffering, like that Sakura or yourself have gone through, as well as myself and my Master, but life is suffering even without the needless pain. You cannot relieve it all."

"You'd have a hard time persuading Shirou of that," Harry remarked. "He wants to be a Hero of Justice. Saving everybody he can."

Medea had heard about it from Harry before, but seeing the earnest, determined expression on Shirou's face, she could certainly believe it. She couldn't help but laugh scornfully. Hero of Justice? How absurd. On seeing Shirou's bemused look, she shook her head. "My apologies, but I've had bad experiences with so-called heroes. I tolerate Harry because he trusts me in spite of my past."

"You were hurt?" Shirou asked.

"I fell in love with a so-called hero, and he tore my heart from my chest, Shirou Emiya," Medea said, glaring at the boy. "What I told your guardian was not far from the truth about my life. Do not misunderstand me, your earnest nature in helping Sakura is heartening. If anything, I am jealous that she had someone to save her…when I did not. But heroism and villainy are far from absolute values. A hero to one may be a villain to another."

"Remember your father, Shirou," Harry said. Shirou had learned the truth about his father during Zelretch's time in Fuyuki. "To you, he was the best father you could have. To most who knew of him, he was feared as the Magus Killer."

"I know, but…" Shirou began, only for Medea to interrupt him.

"Quiet, and listen, boy," she said quietly. "I am told you know of Harry's past. Use him as an example of the pitfalls and perils of being a hero. Use your own father's life as an example of what not to do. And with the Holy Grail War coming, you may see other heroes. Just remember something, Shirou Emiya: there are never any happily ever afters for heroes. And justice…it is as subjective as heroism. There was never any justice for me in my life. Just scorn and contempt and hatred. And think about your friends before you hare off and get yourself killed for some cause. Think about how they'd feel about your death." Her eyes looked pointedly at Sakura when she said that.

"Caster's right. Don't get me wrong, sacrificing yourself is noble, but it should be a last resort, not a first resort," Harry said. "I know you place little value on your own life, Shirou…but others place more than you do. Besides…remember what I said about sending you to be Primate Murder's plaything if you break Sakura's heart."

Shirou nodded hastily, but added, "I'll prove you wrong, Caster. I will show you that heroes can exist, like the one who should have been there for you instead of the one who broke your heart…"

* * *

"He's a fool, but a passionate one," Medea remarked as they walked home, escorting Sakura. "I believe you are both blessed and cursed to have one such as him as a boyfriend."

"Shirou is Shirou," Sakura said with a sad smile.

"At least he's better than most Magi," Harry said.

"I'll grant you that if nothing else. Though if the Grail decides to rope him in, he'll probably get himself killed defending his own Servant. Still, at least his mana flow should be adequate for most Servants. I presume that he is off the 'kill list', correct?"

"If he ends up as a Master, yes," Harry said firmly. "Speaking of killings, did you see those reports? Someone killing people with a blade or a spear? I'd bet it's Lancer's doing. Sakura, if you see a blue-haired man wielding a big red spear, run. Or better yet…where would you rather have a Portkey to? Matou Manor, or our place?"

"I…with you," she said.

"Right." Harry fumbled in his pockets for an object he could enchant, and used the charm on it, before handing it to Sakura, who pocketed it. "When you need to, infuse a bit of your magic into it, and say, in English, 'No Place Like Home'. It'll feel unpleasant, but frankly, I know your threshold for that would be pretty high."

"Thank you. But…I don't know whether that's possible," she said.

By this point, they had reached the Matou Manor. And this time, for the first time, Zouken Matou had not only left the manor, but was waiting at the gate. For the first time, Harry saw Zouken properly. And he knew that this man didn't deserve to be in this world for any longer.

On first impression, he just seemed like an ancient, decrepit man, his wrinkled skin grey and hairless. However, his eyes were sinister white dots on a black void, peering out at the three in a calculating manner. His voice was an ancient rasp, though polite enough. "Good evening, Mr Potter," Zouken rasped. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

"You must be Zouken Matou," Harry said, as civilly as he could manage.

"Indeed. I'd offer you hospitality if you wish, even at this late hour. I am curious about the young man who seems to have taken up residence with Miss Tohsaka. I even heard that you claim distant relations to my family through our Russian ancestors. Genealogy is a fascinating subject. And this is…?"

"Megissa," Medea said, trying hard not to show her displeasure at being so close to him.

"I see," Zouken said. "Go inside, Sakura, dear."

The term of endearment was blatantly false, but Sakura hurried inside, shooting them anxious looks as she did so. After she entered, Zouken, while still maintaining a friendly and polite demeanour, seemed to take off a mask. "Those potions Zelretch gave her are quite something, aren't they? I'll admit, Sakura has improved in great leaps and bounds since she learned under the Wizard Marshall, so much so that I haven't trained her personally lately, beyond having her study. I'm actually inclined to forgive your meddling in family affairs."

"She is family to me," Harry said, snarling at Zouken in contempt, who merely laughed jeeringly.

"Not anymore, not since that fool Tokiomi sold her to me. How does it feel, to know your father was a callous piece of work?"

"Let's put it this way…if he had survived the previous Grail War, I may have killed him myself," Harry said grimly. "But he didn't know about what you did to her, did he?"

"Of course he didn't. He was a trusting fool." He cocked his head questioningly. "You seriously don't think you can save her, can you? I've only let this farce go on long enough because it is futile, and she will break no matter what you do. Even with a Servant by your side…Caster, I am sure, you cannot win. Though there is something you could do. I will give you the same offer I gave Kariya. Win the Grail for me, and I will let Sakura leave."

"Oh, really?" Medea asked, raising an eyebrow. "And why would you be so altruistic?"

"It's not the place of ghosts whose time has passed to question the living, _Servant_ ," Zouken sneered.

"Funny. I could say the same thing about you," Medea retorted.

Harry gently held up a hand. "I'll consider it, Zouken Matou. Come on, Caster. The atmosphere of hospitality here is overwhelming…"

As they left, Medea sent through their link, " _You cannot possibly be considering his offer._ "

" _Of course not. Zouken just thought we've taken the bait_ ," Harry sent back. " _He thinks I will turn on Rin. Still, he hasn't thrown her into that worm pit since she finished with Zelretch. He's biding his time for the potions to finish and her body ready to accept more Crest Worms. But why allow her to continue?_ "

" _He wants to break her. He said it himself. I think it's related to that signature I found within Sakura, the one like the park…oh no. Oh no, no, no!_ "

" _What's wrong, Medea?_ "

" _We need to hurry. Let's get back to your home and get Rin_ …"

* * *

Rin, who had been working on some gems in her Workshop, hadn't been amused when she had been dragged to Harry and Medea's shared Workshop. She had been even less amused when Harry relayed what happened in their conversation. "You're not accepting that offer, are you?" she asked.

"Of course not," Harry said, as Medea bustled around in what looked like a near-panic, rechecking her soil samples, working on the blood sample she took from Sakura, and conjuring a scroll out of the air. "We can't trust Zouken. And we've nearly got that ritual ready. The problem is, if a Master is always selected from the Matous, it's going to be either him or Sakura. Maybe even both. He knows she's a Caster."

"Yeah, speaking of which, isn't it past time that you told me who she is?" Rin said. "Look, if I do get chosen as a Master…we'll sign a geas. We can work it out that we won't take any action against each other until the final stages of the Grail War. Quite frankly, I could do with someone I trust to watch my back. I may not trust Caster, beyond her helping Sakura, but I trust you, Harry."

"It's wise not to trust me, Rin," Medea said as she conjured another scroll. "Especially given my reputation. Besides, we Caster Servants have to fight dirty. We are the weakest of the Servants, physically, after all. Now, quiet a moment…"

"What's actually wrong?" Harry demanded.

Medea merely peered at the two scrolls, before allowing them to shimmer back into non-existence. "No, no, no…" she muttered. "This complicates matters."

"What complicates matters?" Rin demanded.

Medea fixed Rin with a steely look. "It's not enough that that decrepit old worm infested your sister with those foul things masquerading as familiars, or that he's breaking her psychologically. He's done something…well, I hope I'm wrong. I sincerely hope I am wrong. Analysing her blood is still ongoing."

"Caster," Harry said. "What's the matter?"

Medea shook her head. "I hope I'm wrong, I truly do…but…remember how I said that the signature within her felt somewhat like the park?"

"Yeah, what about it? You said there was a taint or something."

"More than a taint." She gestured at the blood sample, and another scroll appeared, floating in the air. "I need more time to do an in-depth analysis, but already, I'm coming to some disturbing conclusions. There's material that may have come from some sort of Homunculus in there, along with something that, if I didn't know any better, matches the signature of the Grail."

Rin caught on more quickly than Harry, and her face morphed into an expression of absolute horror. "Please tell me you're joking. Please tell me this is some sick, twisted joke."

"What is it?" Harry demanded.

"Remember what you learned about the Grail War, Harry," Rin said. "The von Einzberns always provide the Lesser Grail, a vessel that is filled with the essences of the slain Heroic Spirits. The Lesser Grail proper is a spiritual object, only Servants can interact with it, but maybe after it was destroyed in the previous Grail War, the remnants were able to be salvaged. But what Caster is saying…"

Medea nodded, before she made a pronouncement like a solemn declaration of doom. "Yes, I know. Zouken Matou may be trying to turn Sakura into his version of the Lesser Grail."

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh shit. That can't be good.**

 **Incidentally, sorry for the delay in posting, but the review system was playing up. Again. So I couldn't read the latest reviews to figure out which ones needed answering. That being said, up to Chapter 16 is finished.**

 **Also, the latest chapters to my** ** _Overlord_** **crossovers are up. That's my Potterverse crossover** ** _Yield to the Darkness_** **, and my** ** _Red vs Blue_** **crossover** ** _Xenagogy for Belligerent AIs and Dungeon Denizens_** **.**

 **Review-answering time! Okay, I'll be honest. I'm more than a little annoyed at a couple of reviewers thinking that I should write the story the way they want to. Newsflash: you ain't the writer of this story. I am. Keep this in mind,** ** _please_** **.**

 **Wrath of the Sun God** **: I presume it's Gilgamesh.**

 **Sillvog** **: True, but Medea's problem was mostly with Aphrodite. In** ** _Gorgon and Thanatos_** **, where Harry is paired with Medusa, he rails against Athena as well. Harry even says earlier that the goddesses were either spiteful, baby factories, or both (and Athena certainly fills the first category).**

 **NecrorexSparda Juubi-n-Kishin** **: I both pity Angra Mainyu, given his background, and despise what he puts the various characters through.**

 **Gabriel Herrol:** **Oh, they're going to sleep together sooner rather than later. While Medea seduces Harry for pragmatic reasons (they do the deed the day before Rin summons Archer, just in case they have a hostile Servant, so Medea has extra reserves of mana to fight them), and their coupling is more lust than love, Harry and Medea are honest enough about their feelings that there's something more beginning.**

 **Jostanos** **: No, though Medea of the Potterverse, in my mind, was similar to the Nasuverse Medea.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	13. Chapter 11: The Sorceress' Apprentice

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **THE SORCERESS' APPRENTICE**

Harry looked at the collapsible stave that Medea had created for him. It was like her own, but able to collapse into something like a baton he could keep on his person. Handy…and more powerful than his old wand. She was even creating battle clothes he could wear under his normal clothes that would help boost his magic and endurance.

It had been a few days since Medea's revelations about Sakura. Dividing time between preparing for the Grail War, preparing the ritual that would free Sakura and wipe out Zouken, and training was a bit hard. Still, Medea agreed to see if Harry could use her own magecraft.

Flying was surprisingly easy, and Medea felt that, given time (which she admittedly may not have), she could even teach Rin to use an equivalent using modern magecraft. Okay, there were female Magi who used broomsticks to travel even in this world, but to fly freely was another matter. Still, Harry enjoyed the sensation of flying freely, without a broom, though he had to be careful to avoid draining his reserves.

Now came another test. "The main reason I am considering this," Medea said as they stood in the garden of the Tohsaka Manor, Rin watching on with a jealous look, "is that you come from a world where the use of High-Speed Divine Words still exists to a degree. While it is still possible for you to use spells without incantations, it takes more concentration. The magecraft of this world only uses incantations as a sort of self-hypnosis to help you channel your magic properly, like a mnemonic. However, back in my time, words had power. The neighbours won't be able to see anything between the Bounded Fields and your…Notice Me Not spell, was it?"

Harry nodded. "As long as things don't get too flashy, it should be fine."

"Hmm. I have a variety of spells. I can freeze space enough to restrain even a Servant." Medea waved a hand, transforming a rather messy hedge into a mannequin…one that resembled Jason, Harry realised. " _Atlas!_ " she snapped, and a dome of eerie light appeared around the mannequin. "In that area, space is frozen. You could speak and breathe, and that's about it," Medea said, dismissing the dome. "And then, there is my most potent offensive move, the Rain of Light. At full power, it can annihilate a Servant." With a gesture, a magenta magic circle appeared in front of her, and with another barked command in Ancient Greek, a violet beam of energy blasted from the circle and annihilated the mannequin of Jason.

Rin's eyes were wide in awe, shock, and envy. "That's the power of High-Speed Divine Words," she murmured.

"Indeed. Impressed, Rin?"

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise," Rin said, walking over to the remains of the mannequin. "High-speed, high-power thaumaturgy…I mean, I have enchanted gems that can emulate the same effect as your space-freezing spell, but this…and you were holding back, weren't you?"

"Of course. I needed to destroy a mannequin, not a Servant. I have enough reserves to make it through perhaps one fight with another Servant if I go all out, but I would need Harry to give me a recharge," Medea said. "Also, many Servants have a resistance to magic. Well, unless it was healing or enhancing."

Rin shook her head, jealous, and yet awed. "So who are you, exactly?" she asked, walking over to Medea. "A Greek sorceress…that narrows down the field considerably. Circe, Medea, Thrace, Agamede…"

"Does it matter?" Medea said. "Your brother has seen my life and my actions for himself, and he trusts me. In any case, you are potentially an enemy Master. I believe that you would ensure that your siblings were spared, but you're still a Magus at heart, a pragmatist."

"So are you," Rin said. "All Servants desire the Grail, or at least they want something fervently enough to be summoned as Servants. What do you want the Grail for?"

"Bluntly? A second chance, Rin, not that that's any of your business. You know I come from the Age of the Gods. They meddled too much in my life, and those of others. I want to live my life on my own terms. That doesn't mean I want to rule the world or cause havoc. I'd prefer a quiet, happy life. Oh, I'd continue with magecraft research, but I also want a peaceful life. I am helping your sister because Harry asked me to. And…she reminds me a little of myself, of being discarded. Betrayed by those she loved. Though at least you make reparations." Medea sighed. "I cannot make my own unless I used the Grail, and even then…even if I went back, tried to change things, the Gods would merely find some other way to destroy my life and happiness. No, best to find it here if I can."

Rin, however, was looking at Medea, gears turning in her head, until she said, quietly, "Medea of Colchis. That's who you are."

"So you figured it out? I believe I've gone soft given how much I've let slip," Medea remarked. "Still, at least you didn't say 'Witch of Betrayal'."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll be keeping an eye on you, even when I get my Servant," Rin said, peering at Medea suspiciously. "I don't trust you, and I think Harry's a fool for doing so. But if you can help Sakura…"

"I will. More for Harry's sake than your own. Besides, why would I hurt you? You're intelligent and amusing, and frankly, I miss having conversations about magecraft with a halfway intelligent girl. And you don't know all of my trump cards, Rin, any more than I know every branch of Jewelcraft you have used. In any case, I can render you unconscious faster than you can say…oh, what's that gauche magic word modern stage magicians use? Alakazam?"

"Nobody ever uses that anymore," Harry muttered. "And play nice, ladies. Don't get into a catfight. Between my sister and a woman who hasn't had a good track record when it comes to men and relationships, that wouldn't be hot."

The pair of female Magi blushed. "Do you need to be so vulgar?" Medea demanded.

"Not really. I just like speaking my mind. Rin, I think Medea wants to genuinely redeem herself. I won't let her hurt you if I can help it. Medea, please don't threaten my sister. I don't want to have to use a Command Seal. Leaving aside the fact that they're precious, it's too much like the Imperius for my liking," Harry said. "But I will to help her. And I can work around your Noble Phantasm."

"Perish the thought," Medea said. "Besides, your mana supply is prodigious. I don't even need to Astralize to conserve energy if I don't wish to. Given your attitude towards me so far, I wouldn't want to waste that." She looked at Rin. "So, you see, while you may not be able to trust my character, trust my pragmatism. Harry holds you in considerable regard, and I would prefer our relationship to remain a cordial one at the least. With him, I stand a better chance at winning the Grail War. If you are still chosen as a Master, then we can be in alliance until the final stages. I will follow Harry's directives. And if you are not chosen as a Master…then you'll have me protecting you."

Rin stared at Medea, before she pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Sadly, I trust you more than Kirei. That damned fake priest is getting smugger by the day. Plus…I don't think I would have liked having someone ditch me for a younger model."

"Oh, you're young yet. You can still experience that dubious pleasure. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't got a boyfriend yet," Medea said. "Or do you have exacting standards?"

"They think she's untouchable, given her grades and her looks," Harry said. "Sakura and ourselves are the closest thing to friends she has. A few don't like her. I mean, what's with Issei's problem with you?"

"I don't know," Rin said. "And most of the boys either leer like Shinji, or just keep their distance like Shirou. Anyway, Shirou has Sakura, and I don't want to break her heart…"

* * *

Learning how to use some of Medea's magic was, frankly, hard. True, it was because Harry was using magic from the Age of the Gods rather than magecraft, though it helped that the magic of the world he grew up in was not dissimilar to it. But memorising new ways of casting spells was still difficult. What was more, Medea was a hard taskmaster. Not as brutal a teacher as Snape, but she reminded him a little of McGonagall in her strict, no-nonsense nature while teaching.

Still, within a few days, he had managed to find a way to replicate _Atlas_ for a brief period, and more to the point, use a blast of Rain of Light. Unlike Medea, who could use it multiple times depending on her mana reserves, Harry could only use it at full power (in other words, powerful enough to kill a Servant) once, before he had to rest for a few minutes at the very least. Any more frequently, and he risked burning through his reserves, and drying up the flow of mana between himself and Medea. Still, it was enough to make Rin even more jealous. Flying was another matter: while still mana-intensive, it was a slow drain rather than an immediate drop.

Still, Medea, Harry, and Rin agreed that Harry would support Medea in the field using his normal magic. Apparition was useful for evasion and escape, as well as rapid attacks that were hard to predict. And Harry's magic was still effective against Masters: if need be, he could try to use the Imperius, though he preferred to use other techniques than the Unforgivables. A test on a willing Medea showed that the Imperius would have only a brief effect on a Servant, even one without Magic Resistance as a skill, making its utility in that situation dubious.

And it wasn't as if Harry was the only one who benefited from Medea's work. Rin and Medea eventually decided to collaborate, the former learning much about Jewelcraft from the Age of the Gods from Medea. This boosted Rin's ability to craft the Jewel Sword, and she was confident that she may have a working prototype not long after the Grail War, assuming she survived it. Medea herself refused to work on it directly: Zelretch had given the Tohsakas this task as a form of centuries-long homework, and while learning from others the skills needed to craft it was allowed, having others craft it outright wasn't. Besides, Medea didn't know that much about Kaleidoscope, or indeed any of the True Magics, beyond the basic theories.

Still, Harry would look back, and think that, despite the tension, despite the dread, they were good times. During the day, while he was working at the library, he'd have entire mental conversations with Medea, and not just about magecraft or the upcoming conflict. Little by little, the barriers between them were coming down. Harry appreciated talking to someone who didn't hold him in awe, who could point out his mistakes bluntly, and who wasn't blood-related like Rin. Medea appreciated talking to someone who, while wary of her, nonetheless spoke to her like she was a normal human being, and not a Servant or an evil witch, and someone who shared her disdain for many people and deities within Greek myth. Plus, they could make each other laugh.

Harry also discussed things with Taiga. Although the English teacher tried to flirt with him, Harry gently let her down, but asked her to ask her grandfather to keep an eye on things within Fuyuki. Mostly for odd foreigners. Just because the Grail War was meant to be secret didn't mean someone wouldn't slip up. He was particularly concerned about Lancer's Master, as well as whomever the von Einzberns sent.

On weekends, Harry took Medea out of the house. While they would both deny that these were dates to their dying breath at the time, Harry knew that Medea was touched by the gesture. They had known each other for maybe a few weeks now, and already, though they were leery about it, they had become close. You couldn't call what they had love yet. A friendship, yes, a quick friendship, but a genuine one all the same. There was affection there between two people who weren't quite sure what love was, at least of the romantic kind, especially after being jilted by the nearest they had to lovers.

But it was also their brokenness that prevented them from making further moves. They had both been burned, and considered themselves 'once bitten, twice shy'. They were afraid, particularly Medea, of what would happen if they actually fell in love again. Especially with the Grail War right around the corner: one or the other could die, and there was no guarantee that, even if they were the victors, they could remain together.

Still, despite this, they were growing fond of each other. And things would come to a head, shortly before the Grail War began in earnest…

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Harry and Medea are growing closer…but Rin knows who she is. Oh, and Harry can use some of Medea's magecraft. I deliberately ensured that he can only use a limited amount: Medea is used to using these spells, whereas Harry isn't. But if push comes to shove, he can still be a force to be reckoned with.**

 **Review-answering time!** **lord Martiya** **: I did not know that, but as Medea uses Greek words for her attacks, and her legend is part of Greek myth (not to mention she is a descendant of a Greek deity, namely Helios), I think we can safely lump this in under the MST3K Mantra.**

 **Guest** **(regarding Kirei's ability to purge Crest Worms): Part of the problem is that I'm not as familiar with** ** _Heaven's Feel_** **as with the other routes. Besides, neither Harry nor Rin would trust Kirei enough for such a task in this story.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: I didn't copy your rant consciously. I just voiced a number of the complaints people have about Shirou.**

 **trackff** **: There's a number of reasons for me not putting out all the chapters so quickly. The first is that I want to maximise my views. The second and third reasons are to do with this website. The Document Manager uploading system played up recently, and so did the reviews. Because of the former, I couldn't upload new chapters. Because of the latter, I couldn't read and answer any new reviews. Keeping you guys in suspense is, I admit, something of a factor.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 12: Fatal Attraction

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **FATAL ATTRACTION**

Rin hung up the phone, and looked at Harry and Medea. "That was Kirei. Rider has been summoned. Meaning only Saber, Archer, and Assassin are left. I know which one I'm going for."

Medea looked at Rin's hand, her Command Seals showing. A pair of near-circles and a line. "Saber, no doubt. Though each class has its good points. Personally, I think we would do best with a Saber or an Archer to complement my own abilities. While my power is substantial, if I get attacked by a more physically powerful Servant, I would be in danger. An Assassin, while a good scout, would be redundant with my scrying ability, unless they had substantial ability in physical combat. In theory, even I could summon my own Servant."

"You could?" Rin asked.

"Yes, I am a Magus after all, and could game the system a little. But I haven't done so for a number of reasons. The first is my mana reserves. Between the leylines here and the mana I'm getting from Harry, I have more than enough for combat and my Workshop. Summoning a Servant isn't out of the question, but they may be too weak to be of any use, even as a guard dog, and even if they weren't, they may be confined to a relatively small location. That was my second reason, by the way. The third is that I wanted to wait until discerning whether you would be a Master or not. If you were, then the need for another Servant would be redundant. Fourthly, it may disrupt the ritual I am formulating for Sakura, not to mention the analyses I am performing on the soil samples. I could go on, but I won't."

Rin nodded. "Got it. Time's against us. Tonight's the night, when my mana is at its peak. I'll get Saber, and things will be awesome!"

Famous last words.

* * *

Harry had managed to negotiate for some leave for the next week or two, starting that day. He cited that there were problems with Megissa that he was helping her out with. And there were quite a few problems to deal with anyway.

The von Einzbern Master had arrived in Japan a few days before. Raiga Fujimura had brought them intelligence of an albino girl with blood red eyes, about ten years old at the oldest, escorted by a pair of women of similar appearance. His man, who had been working in a car hire office at the airport, had heard the name Illyasviel von Einzbern.

While Rin went to school, Harry stayed, only to realise that the clocks had been shifted forward by an hour. Something Rin would doubtless be realising once she got to school…which would be hilarious, as she was far from a morning person.

Still, Rin had asked Harry to enter her father's old Workshop and prepare it for the summoning. So he did so. It was hot and dusty work, even despite the fact that it was winter. Still, the various benches were shifted, revealing a faded magic circle, one Tokiomi himself used in the previous Grail War.

After all that, Harry went to his rooms within his trunk and had a bath (the bath itself was pretty much huge, more of a hot tub than a bath in terms of size and shape). As he did so, he looked at the Command Seals. Knowing what they had, what they could do, he found himself loath to use them. Okay, if it was an emergency, and he needed her help to avoid dying, yes, he'd use one.

Still, it seemed cruel. It'd be a necessary evil when dealing with less obedient Heroic Spirits, true, but still…they were people once, even if it was long ago. Even against Medea, he felt ill at ease using one.

And there was also the fact that they resembled the sign of the Deathly Hallows. Even now, he couldn't escape them. True, he had brought the Cloak of Invisibility to this world, but it seemed like a chain, a curse.

It was another reason he felt empathy with Medea. It was the fact that their lives had been stage-managed. Dumbledore, Fate, Magical Britain…they used him up and spat him out. Snape, perversely, had done him a favour. He had given Harry the incentive to find something else to do after defeating Voldemort. Though in the unlikely event that he could bring Snape back from the dead, he was going to kick the greasy-haired fucker in the balls until there was nothing left but testicular paté.

Medea, however…she never even got to be the hero in the first place, just the sidekick. He had seen her past. She did a good chunk of the legwork in helping Jason obtain the Golden Fleece. And she did it out of misplaced love for Jason, instilled by Aphrodite.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't realise someone had entered until he felt the displacement of water in the bath. He opened his eyes, and stared at what he saw. Medea was sliding into the bath in front of him, wholly and magnificently naked.

Staring at her generous bust, her slender body, and her elegantly beautiful face, the most coherent thought that came to Harry was one he thought before. Namely, Jason was a fucking idiot.

To his credit, Harry recovered quickly. "What happened to keeping things professional?" he asked, even as he blushed, and the blood rushed downstairs.

"Oh, it's business as well as pleasure," Medea said, with a smile. Though she too was blushing a little, shooting not-so-discreet looks at his now-erect member, visible despite the suds. "Your sister is summoning her Servant tonight. If things go awry, we may need to deal with them. Remember, the geas technically applies to you two, not the Servants. The more mana I have, the better able I will be to deal with them, should they prove rebellious. Especially if I have to use Rule Breaker and bind them to me. Well, long enough to force them to commit suicide, anyway. So, a mana transfer ritual would be desirable."

"And your idea of breaking that to me was by trying to seduce me in the bath?" Harry asked.

The Greek witch chuckled. "Well, I wanted to see you flustered a little. You really are a virgin, aren't you? We don't have to do it here and now in the bath anyway. We don't even have to do it, period." Her face fell. "But…I'm sorry, I went about this the wrong way, didn't I? It's been a while since I've tried to seduce someone without an ulterior motive in mind, mana transfer notwithstanding. You've been so damnably nice to me, and while you had Sakura in mind when you wanted me to become my Servant…I was touched, you know. When you asked for my help, you asked Princess Medea of Colchis. You spoke my name without hatred. Yes, you were wary, but hatred? Contempt? Do you know how much I yearned at many a point to hear my own name spoken of in tones other than those?"

"I've seen your memories, Medea," Harry said. "I do know."

She nodded. "You treat me as a human being. Even in my old life, I wasn't treated with the same respect. When Atrum Galliasta made his feelings about me clear, I didn't expect this life to be any different. You at least wished to see my side of the story. You even took me out to see this modern time, not for strategic reasons, but simply for me to experience it. I know you expect me to heal Sakura, but…that matters to you more than winning the Grail War. In my life, when people approached me, it was rarely to help others. It was to curse or spite others when it wasn't about gaining power, partly due to my reputation. Heracles was an exception, and even he couldn't stop the Thebans from expelling me once I had removed Hera's curse from him. It wasn't always that way. I originally had a ritual dagger like the Rule Breaker, only it healed instead of severed. I miss Pain Breaker."

"I miss many things from my old life. Hedwig…Fred Weasley. Sirius, Remus, Tonks…I miss my old broomstick and my wand. It's not that I regret coming to this world, to Fuyuki. I just regret having to leave everything else behind. And Medea, if we do this…I don't want to lose you. I mean…I'm not sure I can call this love or anything, but I'd like to think we're friends…we could both die during this. And even if we survive, what if the Grail's just some big monkey's paw? What then?"

Medea just looked down at the bathwater. "Then it is what it is. I am used to being betrayed. Why not by an omnipotent wish-granting cup? But…under certain circumstances, a Servant can possibly be bound as a familiar even if the Grail is gone. With your mana reserves, it may be possible. While I require a lot of mana, I am nowhere near as mana-intensive as Servants like Berserker. My studying of the Grail system suggests that possibility, even if it is a long shot." With that, she scooted over to his side, and gently took his face in her hands, turning him to her. "You know…you are the first person to say they didn't want to lose me with any sincerity. That is probably the most touching thing I have ever heard." And with that, she pressed her lips to his own.

At first, it was a simple, chaste kiss, despite the lust both of them felt, a tentative thing, testing the waters. But almost as soon as that one ended, they locked lips again, only more lustfully, hungering for a connection. Harry thought that she tasted bittersweet, not in a bad way, but rather, that the beauty of her was tainted by her past, by her sorrow and rancour. He wondered how he tasted to her.

He broke it off, and looked at her. "I think we'd better get out of the bath first before we take this any further, wouldn't you agree?"

Medea's smile told him that she agreed wholeheartedly…

* * *

Some hours later, Harry was exhausted. You couldn't call what they just went through lovemaking: it was mostly lust, mixed in with the affection they already shared, and he was lucky to get a contraceptive charm in place before their lust got the better of them. Still, if someone had told him that he would lose his virginity to an infamous figure of Greek mythology, and it would probably be his next Patronus memory from just how good it was, he would have laughed in their face. Then again, considering how old she was, she probably had enough experience in how to pleasure men, though he worked to try and ensure that the pleasure was mutual. Judging by the goofy smile on her face as she lay next to him in bed, half-asleep, he had succeeded. Hell, she was beautiful enough already, but that smile took years off her.

That being said, while he had heard of a little thing called 'afterglow', he didn't think it meant that Medea's eyes would be glowing gently through her half-closed lids. He guessed it was due to the sheer amount of mana passed onto her. So he was exhausted magically and physically, despite the potions he had in between sessions.

Medea roused herself from her stupor, rolling onto her side, and began gently tracing her finger along his chest. "So…you enjoyed that?"

"Words fail me. No, really, they do," Harry said, gently running his fingers through her hair. "Did you enjoy it, though?"

"Of course I did," Medea said. "Not every woman half-deafens their partner while climaxing, despite what the hentai of this country would claim. Anyway, you were more considerate than virtually any other lover in my time. Still, I feel ready enough to deal with any unruly Servants. I think we should have another bath first, though…"

* * *

They finished in time for Rin to come back, Harry cooking dinner. Rin somehow knew what they had been up to, despite their activities taking place in the trunk, and was muttering about them both being perverts. To which Medea snarkily replied that Rin should try getting laid herself, given how grumpy she was. Maybe she could persuade Sakura to rope Shirou into a threesome.

Needless to say, Medea had to shield herself from some Gandr curses, even though she was finding it hard to concentrate, what with all the laughter.

Still, Rin felt that the cleaning of the ritual circle was satisfactory, and decided to hold the ritual at what she thought was 2 AM, the time when her mana was at its peak. They tried to correct her, but she wouldn't listen.

Medea was to Astralize, keep herself out of view until they could confirm the Servant's willingness to be bound to Rin. She also took down most of the defences against Heroic Spirits, save for the detection ones, at least until the Servant was summoned. Just in case they interfered with the ritual.

As Rin prepared herself, she muttered the incantation, filling the old summoning circle with mana, causing it to glow with first green, and then red light. " _For the origin, silver and steel. For the cornerstone, gem and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg_. _The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates in the four directions. From the crown, come forth. Trace the three-forked road leading to the kingdom. Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat fivefold, and when each is filled, destroy it_."

"Looking good so far, Rin," Harry said. "Ready to start it in earnest?"

Rin shot him a look that said, _Of course!_ , before she closed her eyes, and began the final incantation. " _Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!_ "

A shockwave of energy knocked Rin to her derriere, and Harry staggered. But as Rin exulted, Harry noticed a distinct absence of Servant. " _Harry_ ," Medea said, " _I sense a Servant falling towards this house from above. I don't think it's an enemy, yet._ "

Before Harry could relay this to Rin, who was wondering where her Servant was, the house shook, and an almighty crash reached their ears. Instantly, the two siblings, followed by an Astralized Servant, scurried out of the basement and towards a living room where they heard the crash.

Between them, they managed to burst open the door, to reveal a man, dressed in black, with a red coat or mantle over it. His skin was tanned, his hair white, his eyes silver, his expression briefly marred by a look of surprise. His features looked disturbingly familiar, though Harry could not understand why for the life of him. That being said, Harry got a sense of weariness and fatigue from him, something Harry felt mirrored his own psyche.

"Is this really a Servant?" Harry asked.

"Of course he is. He must be," his sister declared, before frowning. "But is he a Saber?"

The man just gave them a wink and a cocky smirk. Harry got the distinct impression that this guy, badass though he looked, was going to be trouble…

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Medea have gotten it on, and we've** ** _finally_** **caught up to the prologue. And yes, Harry, Archer is definitely going to be trouble…**

 **Now, I didn't write Harry and Medea having sex in explicit detail because, well, I suck balls at writing lemons. I generally find it better to cut away to black, and then fade up on the aftermath. And keep in mind, this was partly an expression of lust and partly the infamous Nasuverse mana transfer ritual. This isn't to say they aren't in love, or at least won't end up in love, as their discussion beforehand reveals. They're just somewhat awkward when it comes to things like this.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter is the beginning of the events of** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **proper.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	15. Chapter 13: The First Shots

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **THE FIRST SHOTS**

Archer wasn't sure what to make of Harry Tohsaka. Then again, he hadn't met him in person until now. He knew something of the reputation of Harry Potter through other iterations on the Throne of Heroes, though he knew that only because of his nature as a Counter-Guardian. Harry Potter, Rider, Caster, Assassin. The Master of Death.

And all this time, he was Rin's twin? Or maybe he was just in this iteration. In any case, Archer was somewhat disturbed. True, he actually liked Harry's common sense and cynicism. But on the other hand, Harry and Medea, along with Rin, made it clear they were only going to target Masters who didn't pass their personal morality litmus test…which meant that Archer's mission to deal with Shirou was already in trouble, especially as both Harry and Rin were aware of Shirou already.

Then again, Shirou might have diverged enough away from his ideals, or at least had them tempered enough, thanks to Harry relaying his own life story. So for now, Archer was going to take a wait-and-see approach to Shirou, see if Shirou had changed enough that he wouldn't make a deal with Alaya.

The problem was, Harry was Master of Caster, namely Medea. And Medea was very much a double-edged sword. Though he felt a little reassured when he listened to them discussing what to do with Sakura. _Crest Worms_. If only he'd known that in his original life, he would have put an end to Zouken himself.

He wasn't sure they bought his lie of not remembering his life due to a cocked-up summoning (then again, some of his memories, especially of this time, were truly a little scrambled). Certainly Harry and Medea looked sceptical, and their scrutiny was noticeable. Still, he had to admit that, if Harry did have Medea under his aegis, then they had a valuable ally instead of a potentially lethal enemy. The fact that she kept her hood down for most of the time was telling: she rarely had her hood down the few times he had seen her in life. While she clearly didn't trust Archer, she obviously felt comfortable enough around Rin and Harry.

Still, the time approached when his past self would be thrown into the Grail War. He was looking forward to giving Cú Chulame(1) a taste of his own medicine. Though something told him that Harry and Rin were going to help Shirou: apparently Shirou already knew about the Grail War this time, though Rin seemed more worried about Shirou being an enemy than Harry.

First, he was taken on a tour of the city by Rin, who uncharacteristically played hooky from school, while Medea and Harry stayed home. Then, came school the next day, and the discovery of the Bounded Field. Set by Medusa on the orders of that blue-haired shit Shinji. But this time, things went differently. Rin called up Harry and told him to meet her after school…

* * *

Harry didn't know what to make of Archer, only that he made Harry's instincts scream. Not because he was dangerous: all Servants were. But there was something about Archer that made him suspicious, suspicions Medea shared. They didn't buy his story of his memories being lost during the summoning. For now, they intended to keep an eye on him. They knew he was keeping an eye on them in turn.

After Rin gave Archer a tour of the city one day, the usually straitlaced Rin playing hooky for once, the next day, Rin called up Harry with a mobile he insisted she carry. Apparently someone had set up a Bounded Field at the school, and she wanted to investigate later that night. She wanted a second opinion from Medea.

Which was why, late at night, they had headed to the roof of the school, Harry donning a special battlesuit Medea had formed using her Item Creation. It was pretty much little more than a spandex bodysuit he could hide under clothing, but it helped boost his abilities a little, including his strength and magic power. Medea was Deastralized, peering at the arcane, complex sigil in floor of the roof. She pursed her lips. "Well, I have good news and bad news," she said quietly. "The bad news is, it's definitely a Noble Phantasm, and I'm not sure what sort of Servant would create it. And you were right, Rin. If it activates, it will convert the students and staff _en masse_ into mana. The good news is, it's far from being ready…and I vaguely recognise it. It's definitely from the Age of the Gods, and the lettering is familiar to me, so the Servant responsible may be from Greek myth, or at least the Mediterranean. However, the sigils are self-regenerating due to it being a Noble Phantasm, so we can only slow whoever's done this down."

"Well, let's get started," Rin said, reaching down to it, only to be interrupted.

"Now then, why'd you be doing a thing like that?"

The voice had an Irish lilt, and Harry, Rin, and Medea whirled to find someone perched on the water tank…dressed in a blue figure-hugging suit, a red spear draped over his shoulders. His blue hair was drawn back into a ponytail, and his red eyes peered at them, his lips curled in a lazy smirk. "Lancer…" hissed Medea.

"Yes, that's my name. Don't go wearing it out, or I'll make you buy me a new one," Lancer said. "I remember you, the witch I was sent to introduce my spear to. Found a new Master, one more to your liking, it seems. I'll be honest, I'm actually a little happy for you. My own Master is a big dick."

"So's your spear," Harry snarked.

"Ha! I've heard that one before, but, well, it's still funny."

"Are you the one who set this up?" Rin demanded.

"Nope. And frankly, that tends to fall under the purview of Magi. We tend to leave the dirty tricks to Masters…and we have two working together. Still, my Master wants you to stop fiddling around with something interesting. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen…but I'm going to have to deal with you. Besides, I was ordered to kill Caster. Call it professional pride."

"Rin! Archer! Caster! Grab on!" With that, Harry, as soon as Archer Deastralized and held onto him, Apparated to the sport field below. Lancer soon followed, leaping down.

"Well, interesting trick you've got there," Lancer said. "So, what'll it be? Stand or fight?"

Archer just stepped forward, a short saber materialising in his hand. "You want to see what I can do, Rin," he said. "Well, here it is. Harry, Caster, watch out for Rin."

Harry nodded, but he sent through his link to Medea, " _Medea, check to see if anyone's in the area. If Lancer's behind the killings, it might be that his Master is overzealous about silencing witnesses._ "

" _Understood. I'm erecting a Bounded Field as we speak. Hmm…I am detecting someone in the Archery Dojo._ "

" _Well, check on who it is, please._ "

" _Of course._ "

At that point, Archer and Lancer began clashing. The term 'clash of the titans' was a somewhat overused one, and yet, it was wholly appropriate here. They moved with a sheer speed and power that was beyond human. Hell, Archer, despite his class, was holding his own using that sword, and when Lancer knocked it out of his hand, destroying it, Archer Projected another, along with a second sword. Though he noticed Archer muttering something under his breath as he did so.

" _Harry, the straggler is Shirou_ ," Medea sent. " _He's currently cleaning the Archery Dojo, but he's almost finished._ "

" _What the hell is he doing cleaning the Archery Dojo at this time of night?!_ " Harry yelped mentally. " _I thought he left that club after a falling out with that creep Shinji. Okay, Medea? Get him back home, please. He's lucky Lancer hasn't noticed him._ "

" _Understood._ "

As Medea disappeared in a swirl of robes, Lancer scowled as he circled Archer warily. "Hey, where's the witch gone?"

"None of your business, Danny Boy," Harry snarked.

Lancer blinked, before he scowled. He rushed past Archer, and out of the Bounded Field, in time to see Medea disappear, Shirou in tow. "Hey, what gives? He's a witness!"

"He's a Magus who knows about the Grail War. He's not your problem," Harry said.

"I'd love to agree with you, but my Master begs to differ," Lancer said. "Hope you ain't attached to your Caster, boyo. She's long overdue a date with my spear." And with that, he kicked out at Harry and Rin, sending them sprawling into a nearby wall, knocking them out.

By the time they came to, Archer was helping them up. "How long have we been out?" Rin demanded.

"About five minutes," Archer said. "I stayed with you two to protect you."

Harry's eyes widened. " _Medea!_ " he yelled through their link. " _Are you two okay?_ "

" _Yes. I found you in the viewing crystal, knocked out, with Archer watching over you. Where's Lancer?_ "

" _On his way to kill you and Shirou! Get him out of there!_ "

" _Gah! No time, Harry, he's here! He's come through the front door! Get here with Archer as soon as you can!_ "

"Rin, Archer, hold onto my hands!" Harry yelled. He noted that Archer took his hand a little hesitantly, oddly enough. Then, he Apparated to the outside of the Emiya house…

* * *

Once they had made it to the backyard, Medea had Shirou run into the shed he used as his Workshop, while she faced Lancer alone. Using Atlas in conjunction with her Rain of Light was tricky, and the latter spell had a bad tendency to cause collateral damage. Taking to the skies was not an option, as Lancer could either have free rein to go after Shirou, or else use his Noble Phantasm to knock her from the skies. Using Rule Breaker wasn't out of the question, but she might not be able to use it in the window between releasing Atlas and using it on him, and besides, she had the feeling he would be too unruly to control. And there was always the possibility that Lancer had another trick up his sleeve, or that his Master would use a Command Seal to empower him long enough to break free.

But she needed to just delay him until Archer got here. Harry would Apparate here with Rin and Archer, she was certain of it.

Decision made, she snarled, " _Atlas._ " Lancer was suddenly held in place by frozen space, a grimace twisting at his features. "I don't appreciate you trying to skewer me like I am a sow in an abattoir, Lancer," she added. "Twice, you have affronted me in such a manner, and I will ensure there isn't a third time."

"You're only delaying the inevitable, witch," Lancer said, the only thing he really could do. "Unless that Master of yours has already woken up and using that cute teleport trick…how the hell did he do that?"

"As I believe the vulgar phrase goes, _Fuck you, that's how_ ," Medea retorted(2). But then, her concentration lapsed when she felt a surge of mana from within the shed, and she whirled to find a flare of light belching out of the door. Atlas dropped, but Lancer didn't attack.

"You know what, witch?" Lancer asked. "I think you screwed up badly. _That_ felt very much like the boy summoning a Servant. Care to lay bets as to who they attack first?"

* * *

Harry, Archer and Rin rushed through the house in time to stop and stare at the door to the shed, as a figure emerged. A magnificent regal figure, like something out of a fairy tale. Only, this apparition was very real indeed.

She was clad in a blue, armoured dress, complete with gauntlets. Her features were beautiful, if somewhat androgynous, and regal. Golden hair was tied up in a bun. Her right hand seemed to be clutching something, the only signs to a weapon's existence being ripples of air, like a mirage. She seemed to be in her late teens at the oldest.

But it was her eyes that Harry noticed most of all. Emerald eyes, so much like his own, staring out at them all sternly, assessing each of them as threats. And with a start, Harry realised he knew who this was, even without finding it out for himself.

The young woman looked over at Medea. "Take your leave for now, Caster. My Master told me to assist you," she declared in a regal tone, her voice sounding British, with a slight Welsh accent.

"As you wish, Saber," Medea said, striding over to Harry and the others.

"Wait, what?!" Rin yelped. "How did that happen?! How did Shirou summon a damned Saber?!"

"I don't know. I only sent him into the shed to shelter while I delayed Lancer," Medea said.

"Joy, another complication," Harry muttered as Saber and Lancer began clashing.

After some time clashing, Lancer snarled, "So, you're a Saber? I do have to wonder, is that really a sword you're concealing like a craven coward?!"

"Maybe, or maybe it's a staff, or an axe, or perhaps a bow?" Saber snarked.

"Ooh, gonna need magecraft to heal that one," Harry remarked.

"And I find myself wanting popcorn again," Medea mused.

"Oi! Hecklers aren't allowed!" Lancer snapped at them, before turning back to Saber. "If you're going to be coy, then fine. Call it a draw?"

"I think not. You know that I will vanquish you, Lancer."

"Well, that's scuppered things. I was meant to observe only. But still…I will take your heart, and with it, your life," Lancer said, shifting his spear, causing a red, flame-like aura to purl around it. "Ready or not, here I come! **_GÁE BOLG!_** "

The spearhead suddenly thrust out as a tendril of blood-coloured light, snaking its way towards Saber, who deflected it with her sword…only, reality seemed to _judder_ , and suddenly, Saber was being hurled around on the tendril, impaled through her shoulder. As she landed right near Harry, he hurried over to her. "What the hell just happened?!" Harry yelped. "She managed to deflect the blow away from her! How did you get her?!"

"Oh? You noticed, did you?" Lancer asked, looking annoyed that his attack didn't kill Saber. "My spear rewrites causality so that it always hits the heart…and only some Servant with a high amount of luck can avoid a fatal blow. You must have felt time skipping a track(3)."

"I know the Gáe Bolg…it belongs to Ireland's Child of Light," Saber muttered, as she clutched her wounded shoulder. "Cú Chulainn…"

The blue-haired warrior grimaced. "Dammit, I screwed it up. I needed to make sure that move was fatal. And my Master, who's a complete coward, now wants me back in my kennel. If you want to follow me, that's fine…but I will kill you. In any case, it seems you have some negotiations to go through, Saber." With that, he leapt out of the backyard.

Harry noticed Shirou watching from the shed entrance, and then healed Saber. When she looked at him in confusion, he said, "You saved my friend's life. We came to back him up, but…it seems rather redundant now."

Saber peered into his eyes, searching for any sign of deception, before nodding, getting to her feet. "I thank you for your assistance all the same, Master of Caster."

"Harry Tohsaka, at your service," Harry said, holding out his hand, which the Saber Servant shook after a moment's trepidation. "You've met Caster, the guy with the spray-on tan is Archer, and that's Rin, my sister."

Archer snorted in amusement. "Spray-on tan…" he muttered.

"And that guy is Shirou Emiya, probably your Master now," Harry added.

"Emiya?" Saber gasped, wheeling to face Shirou. If nothing else, the reaction was telling enough. She searched his face, before her expression calmed.

"Rin, Archer…head on back," Harry said. "I'll handle filling these two in."

"On your own?" Rin asked.

"I just healed Saber, and she doesn't seem like the sort to turn on me unless we turn on her first. And be careful. Head straight home. Do you want a Portkey?"

After a moment, Rin nodded, and Harry tossed her one, already programmed for Tohsaka Manor. Rin and Archer soon disappeared, leaving Harry and Caster with Shirou and Saber. "Look, I didn't know this was going to happen!" Shirou protested. "I mean, I saw some old magic circle in the shed, but I didn't think it would be…"

"It's fine, Shirou. I stayed here because of Saber." He looked over at the female knight, who looked at them warily. "You're the same Saber the Magus Killer summoned, aren't you?"

As Saber started, Medea frowned. "Servants who return to the Throne of Heroes and are re-summoned should have no more memories of the previous Grail War. And yet, you remember?"

Saber didn't seem to want to answer them. But it was Shirou who approached her. "Did you…did you really fight alongside my father?"

"Your father?" Saber asked. "But the Grail War only occurs but once every six decades!"

"This one started early," Harry said. "And I was hoping you could shed some light on why…Arturia Pendragon…"

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Arturia's been summoned. Shit just got complicated.**

 **Review-answering time! I have to admit, I was gratified at the response to Harry and Medea coupling in the last chapter. I was actually worried that I had done it too soon, and it stuck out a little like the proverbial sore thumb. I'm glad that none of you thought this to be the case.**

 **AznPuffyHair** **: Harry's probably being cautious and courteous (plus, knowing his luck, he would knock up Medea anyway), and Gabriel Herrol put it in a few of their challenges, canon to the Nasuverse or not, that a pregnant Servant could potentially stay in modern times. Also, it won't be Harry who figures it out first about Archer. And maybe there will be some Shirou/Rin/Sakura action…though Shirou/Sakura/Arturia action is more likely.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Well, he did get some of that WTF expression in the prologue, but he managed to play it off, albeit a little unsuccessfully, at surprise at another Servant being present.**

 **1\. This is derived from a joke in BlazingAzureCrow's** ** _Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Abridged_** **, where Archer and Lancer exchange insults and 'names'. Archer calls himself 'Bite Me', and demands Lancer's name, who calls himself 'Mario Mario'. Archer retorts, "Funny, I took you for the great Italian spearman Cú Chulame", to which Lancer snarks, "Bite me, Bite Me!"**

 **2\. Derived from a joke from the first episode of** ** _Hellsing Ultimate Abridged_** **.**

 **3\. I wanted to have Harry somehow know of how the Gáe Bolg rewrites causality. I had this idea that it'd be a bit like how the Doctor and Romana can sense time skipping tracks in the classic** ** _Doctor Who_** **story** ** _City of Death_** **, which I wholeheartedly recommend by the way. It's got location filming in Paris, an alien who looks like a literal can of worms played by Julian Glover (aka Pycelle from** ** _Game of Thrones_** **, Donovan from** ** _Indiana Jones at the Last Crusade_** **, and Kristatos from** ** _For Your Eyes Only_** **), a heist involving the Mona Lisa, and, while originally based on a story by David Fisher, it was mostly rewritten by Douglas Adams. Yep, really, albeit under a pseudonym because of BBC rules at the time.**


	16. Chapter 14: Friend or Foe?

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **FRIEND OR FOE?**

Harry peered into Arturia's eyes, while the Once and Future King stared back. "Do you have a reason for doing that?" Arturia asked, a little irritably.

"Sorry," Harry said. "I was told some months ago about you, and they were right, we've got similar eyes."

"By whom?"

"By a rather dubious priest by the name of Kirei Kotomine," Harry said. "But that's beside the point. I wanted to ask you a couple of things about the previous Holy Grail War, as Caster and I have found out some things that disturb us both."

Arturia, reluctantly, nodded. They were seated in the dining room of the Emiya house, while Shirou made some tea. Caster had removed her hood, and was peering at Arturia intently as well. "I see. However, I should say that, while years has passed for this time, it has been mere moments for myself. The wounds on my soul are still fresh, though I will consider your questions, as long as my own are answered. Where is Kiritsugu?"

"He died five years ago," Shirou said, as he brought tea down to them. "He was ill for a pretty long time."

Harry nodded. "Shirou is one of the few survivors of a massive fire that consumed a good chunk of Fuyuki after the last Grail War ended a decade ago. Kiritsugu saved him from that fire, and eventually adopted him. Shirou was pretty much ignorant of his father's reputation until I came along. I've given him warnings about the Grail War, just in case something like this happened. We'll probably have to phone up Kirei later, let him know. Anyway, how's your mana supply from Shirou?"

"More than adequate," Arturia said. "But why would you go out of your way to help an enemy Master?"

"Shirou is my friend, and the Grail War technically is fought between the Servants," Harry pointed out. "I have no intention of killing Shirou, or my sister. Other Masters are on a case-by-case process. Anyway, Caster and I have found out some disturbing things about the Grail. Nothing definite, but we thought, being probably one of the few people who could shed some light onto what happened, you could help us. Please, anything you could tell us."

Arturia shook her head. "I'm not sure I can help. Kiritsugu rarely consulted with me on anything, and indeed treated me with considerable contempt. I was fighting against Archer while he fought against Kirei Kotomine. I confess myself surprised that Kotomine still lives, for Kiritsugu excelled at murder. In any case, he emerged, and used two Command Seals to force me to destroy the Grail, giving no reason, just an order. I disappeared in the backlash of using my Noble Phantasm to destroy it."

"You're being forthcoming," Medea observed after sipping from her teacup.

"I too am perplexed at Kiritsugu's actions, for he desired the Grail at any cost," Arturia said, meeting the Greek witch's gaze. "Costs I baulked at. To throw it all away after all that confused me. Enlightenment from any corner would be appreciated, especially as you appear to be here under parley."

"Well, Arturia, we found something disturbing in the park that replaced the area burnt in that pyroclasm," Medea said. "The Grail's destruction not only unleashed massive amounts of mana, but what seems to have been a curse. The effects still linger strong enough to affect Heroic Spirits, and even normal humans tend to avoid that park. While it could be part of the destruction of the Grail gone awry, I personally think there was something within the Grail, either a deliberate boobytrap set by the von Einzberns, or else something more sinister and disturbing. There was nothing else?"

"I cannot help you. I'm sorry," Arturia said, shaking her head. "If the Grail had something sinister within it, then that could explain why he ordered me to destroy it, but I cannot tell you for sure. And I would prefer not to speak on any further on the matter."

" _She's not lying_ ," Medea said to Harry via their link. " _Kiritsugu's actions are as much a mystery to her as they are to us. There are some things she is hiding, but nothing vital._ "

" _Right_ ," Harry responded, before he returned his attention to Arturia. "Sorry to bother you about that. While we know it's doubtless painful for you to deal with this, we needed to know. All the same, it's a pleasure to meet you, Arturia. It's a shame you had to hide your gender from the world during your time as King Arthur. And it's also a shame that we're opponents."

After a moment, the blonde knight smiled. It was a small smile, but a smile all the same. "I thank you, Harry Tohsaka. During the previous Grail War, I had no rapport with the enemy Masters, let alone my own. The closest I came was to any goodwill was with the Master of Rider, Waver Velvet. I am heartened to hear you say such things."

"He treats Servants as people," Medea said. "My past is considerably more sordid than yours, King of Knights, and he not only knows it, but accepts me for who I am. And he is friends with Shirou. You'll have your work cut out for you keeping your Master safe, by the way. He has a tendency to rush headlong into trouble."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Shirou protested.

"Yes, you _are_ that bad," Harry said bluntly. "Anyway, what the hell were you doing cleaning up the Archery Dojo?"

"Shinji fobbed it off onto me after I confronted him earlier. I saw what looked like a bruise on Sakura's hand."

Medea frowned, and sent to Harry, " _A bruise on her hand? Command Seals?_ "

" _Maybe_ ," Harry sent back. Was his other sister being dragged into this debacle after all? Out loud, he said, "Okay, well, you got lucky tonight that I had Caster keeping an eye out for possible witnesses. Even when he learned you were a Magus, Lancer tried to kill you, presumably on his Master's orders. And that's only one of four possible problems. I'd count Archer, but I think he's obeying Rin for now."

"Okay, what are the problems?" Shirou asked.

"Firstly, someone set up a sigil that has the potential to convert everyone in the school into mana, presumably to fuel a Servant," Harry said. "Secondly, Lancer is being ordered by his Master to kill witnesses, or even possible rival Magi before they become Masters, if tonight is any indication. Thirdly, Assassin is yet to be summoned, and that's the most dangerous class for we Masters. Finally, there's Berserker."

"Berserker?" Arturia asked, an edge to her voice now present. Maybe she had a bad experience with the Berserker of the previous Grail War.

"Yeah. Berserker has been summoned by whoever the von Einzbern representative is. Raiga sent me word that there's an albino girl with red eyes running around, so that's probably her."

"An albino girl?" Shirou asked. "Red eyes? Only…last night, I came across a girl like that, dressed in clothing like she was from Europe or Russia. She told me in passing that I had to summon 'it' soon, or I'd die."

"Shit," Harry muttered. "The von Einzberns are probably pissed that your father nuked the Grail, so they've sent her to kill you in revenge or something. Raiga said her name was Illyasviel."

"Illyasviel?" Arturia asked. "But that was the name of Kiritsugu's daughter with Irisviel, his Homunculus consort. I admit, she was somewhat small for her age, but she was eight years old. She would be eighteen by now."

"Wait, I have a sister?!" Shirou yelped. Then, after a moment, he said, a little more thoughtfully, "She called me big brother."

"Homunculus growth can be tricky," Harry said. "If it is the same girl, maybe she stopped growing. Merlin, as if this wasn't enough of a debacle already. Bad enough that my sister and a friend are Masters, but my other sister might be, and you have a stepsister with an axe to grind…and that's without going into the homicidal spearman. Though my Irish mythology is pretty rusty. Who's Cool Hoolin?"

"Cú Chulainn," Medea corrected. "Though that is an appellation meaning the 'Hound of Chulainn'. His birth name was Sétanta. A famous spearman who defended Ulster against the forces of Queen Medb. His Noble Phantasm, as you saw, is a cursed spear that unerringly pierces the heart when he channels its full power, rewriting causality to ensure it. Well, unless you have a surfeit of luck, like our beautiful King of Knights here has. Arturia Pendragon, I would request a boon if I may."

"Speak, and I will consider it."

"While we are enemies due to the circumstances of the Holy Grail War, the circumstances leading to your summoning may require us to ally temporarily. Shirou, did you notice anything odd at the school today? A strange atmosphere or something?"

"I…I did," the redhead said, nodding.

"That was a Bounded Field, part of, we believe, a Servant's Noble Phantasm. Harry mentioned it earlier. As he said, its purpose is to break down anyone present into mana, harvest them as fuel for a Servant. It could be the work of a modern Magus, but it looks more like the work of someone or something from the Age of the Gods. Unless the Master of Berserker is more skilled than we thought, or Berserker is able to do this when their Mad Enhancement is removed, it is more likely to be Rider, as Lancer denied having anything to do with it, and Assassin is yet to be summoned to our knowledge. While Harry and Rin allying until the final stages of the Grail War is already set in stone, extra help against a belligerent enemy Servant would be appreciated. We were attempting to remove it when Lancer interrupted us. Unfortunately, the sigils will probably regenerate over time, so the only positive benefits of removing them, aside from potentially flushing our enemy into the open, would be delaying their plan."

"Even if you decide not to help us, it'd probably be for the best if you took Arturia to school with you, if only as a bodyguard," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, about that," Arturia began, looking slightly embarrassed. "I must confess, I am unable to Astralize."

Medea cocked her head. "Well, well, well…isn't that interesting? You retain memories from the previous Grail War, AND you cannot Astralize. You're not a normal Heroic Spirit, aren't you?"

"Never mind about that for now," Harry said. "If Arturia can't Astralize, then you'll have to figure something else out. While you could potentially call her to your side with a Command Seal, those things are precious. Arturia may have enough honour to stay by your side once you've depleted them, but it also means that her connection with you is severed, and she'd need a new supply of mana, and thus a new Master. I'll see if I can find a way to smooth things over with the faculty. I may be on leave, but I might be able to get Taiga to help. If push comes to shove, we'll just say something like the truth, that she's an old associate of Kiritsugu's, older than she looks, and she's here to act as your bodyguard because he pissed off some powerful people. It's either that, or, knowing my sister, the Tsundere Missile would go off. She probably wouldn't kill you for Sakura's sake, but she'd may try to confiscate your Command Seals, and that'd hurt like a bitch at the very least, if not destroying your ability to use magecraft. I've toned it down a little, but she's still got a ruthless streak, even if it's a half-hearted one. Frankly, I'm glad she got whatever good qualities from our father he had."

"Yes, about that, Harry, was it?" Arturia said. "You do not look Japanese. Indeed, you sound British."

"Long story involving magical blood adoption and parallel universes. In short, shenanigans," Harry said.

"Shenanigans?"

"Shenanigans."

Arturia nodded. "I see. Sadly, I have dealt with stranger things when Merlin was involved. Shirou? What is your thought on allying with them?"

"Well, allying with these guys for the time being is the right thing to do, if we're trying to stop people from getting killed," Shirou said. "Harry won't let me get hurt if he can help it. I trust him. Besides, Caster's helping Sakura. Being in an alliance will give her more time to finish the ritual."

"I see." Arturia looked back at Harry and Medea. "Then for the time being, we are allies. But I will be on my guard. I did not have a good experience with the Caster of the previous Grail War."

"Arturia, you are right to be wary. I do not subscribe to chivalry or fair play. But I will follow my Master's directives," Medea said. "Better to deal with Berserker, Rider and Lancer, along with Assassin, before everything else. But first, let's show you the park, and let you see for yourself what it has become…"

* * *

In the basement of the Matou household, the ghoulish figure of Zouken Matou had a ghastly grin on his features. His heiress had been pressured into handing over control to that worthless brat Shinji via the Book of False Attendant. With Assassin still free to summon, Zouken had decided to take a more direct approach to the Grail War.

The Tohsakas' meddling, particularly that of Harry Tohsaka, was becoming irritating. He'd only restrained from using his usual methods to teach Sakura because she had those potions in her system. That, and her progress under Zelretch was admittedly better than anything he could have come up with, and pissing off the Wizard Marshall was something even Zouken was loath to do. At least until Zouken had something even a Dead Apostle Ancestor couldn't stand up to.

Namely, the Holy Grail. Or rather, Zouken's version, created using Sakura and the remnants of the tainted Lesser Grail. The Black Grail.

Using Assassin, Zouken intended to thin out the competition, as well as breaking Sakura. She had been given hope for the first time in a decade…and he intended to remind her why it was a bad idea to defy him, by crushing that hope utterly, and bringing her completely under his control. The Emiya boy was a possible target, as was the sister she was reconnecting with…but the juiciest target was Harry Tohsaka. He was her brightest beacon of hope. And he intended to snuff that out. With Sakura in bed and Shinji on patrol with Rider, he could focus on this.

" _Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!_ "

The summoning circle flared with actinic light. When Zouken blinked the afterimage away, he saw the cloaked figure in front of him with the skull mask. Hmm, maybe he got one of the Hassan-i Sabbah? But that mask looked a little too elaborate for one of the Old Men of the Mountain that led the Assassins.

"Servant Assassin has answered your summons," the Servant said, his voice resonating from behind his mask. "I ask of you…who do you want dead?"

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh dear. Zouken's summoned Assassin…and he may not be a Hassan-i Sabbah. But Harry and Arturia have gotten along, which is the main thing, right?**

 **Incidentally, I have given permission to Faust to post a Russian translation of this story. So if you see it elsewhere on this site, that's why…**

 **Review-answering time!** **Silvog** **: Because he has the Cloak of Invisibility, and was raised from birth to destroy Voldemort, pretty much. I'm not the first to think of that concept, either.**

 **Amatsumi** **: Remember, Kirei mentioned her name some chapters ago, as well as her connection to Kiritsugu Emiya, so he'll call her Arturia first.**

 **The Shadows Mistress** **: Yep. Incest, murder, rape…all a good time for the Olympians, or indeed many pantheons. There's actually a brilliant scene in** ** _Reaper Man_** **by Terry Pratchett where Hughnon Ridcully lists the goings-on about various gods as if they were some sort of soap opera synopsis.**

 **merendinoemiliano** **: Fight scenes are admittedly a weakness of mine. And with the next chapter having Shirou, Harry and their Servants encountering a certain albino brat and her hulking embodiment of steroids overdose, well…**

 **Guest** **(regarding the kaiju-named guests): Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. I try not to tar guests with the same brush. And yes, Harry being prudent about contraception is because he is savvy about his luck. Besides, Medea went through enough shit in her lifetime, being knocked up by someone she has only known for weeks is not something Harry wants to put her through.**

 **SonicAnime2010** **: I used the same gag myself for** ** _Perils of Magical Investigative Journalism_** **, though I don't know whether anyone else has used the spray-on tan joke.**

 **Lu Bane Na** **: While I'm not going to have Rin do that…Medea may be another matter entirely. Remember her canonical obsession with playing dress-up with Arturia…which is mentioned obliquely in the next chapter.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Harry has, admittedly, made an educated guess, based on a number of factors. Harry was told by Kirei about her gender and her distinctive eyes, like his own. Plus, he's got the impression that Shirou has the same mercurial luck that Harry does, and that summoning the very same Servant Shirou's father did just seems like that would happen. Arturia's reaction to Shirou's last name cinches it.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	17. Chapter 15: Argonaut Reunion

**CHAPTER 15:**

 **ARGONAUT REUNION**

Illya frowned. She had been tracking her prey, and while she wasn't going to attack him at home (partly because she didn't know whether her father had put in some defences, and partly because, well, Berserker needed more room to cause the havoc they both enjoyed…and partly because it would be very rude, and she was raised to be a proper lady, thank you very much), she had hoped he might head off with his Servant to speak with the Overseer. Instead, he was heading for some grotty little park, a park that, apparently, was the site of the Grail's manifestation in the previous Grail War.

She didn't like that park. It gave her the heebie-jeebies. Maybe it was because she was the Lesser Grail, and being so close to where the last one (don't think of it as Mama!) was destroyed set some instinct off. Or maybe it was just so bleak and depressing looking, as if the ghosts of those present lingered. Even Berserker seemed ill at ease there.

Still, she had an opportunity to test Berserker. As she approached, she saw that accompanying that damned cuckoo who stole her father away from her and the traitorous Saber (wasn't that a surprise seeing her here?) was Harry Tohsaka, whom she recognised from photos her family's spies had taken, and a woman in robes, possibly a Caster. Hmm…well, a Caster might be tricky, but she could not stand up to Heracles…

* * *

It was Medea who suggested taking Arturia to the park. Shirou had rung up Kirei and notified him. Given Harry and Sakura's tuition on the Grail War, Shirou's questions were mostly answered, so he didn't need to go to the church. Interestingly, they found some old clothes Arturia had worn in the previous Grail War in a closet, and after changing, Harry was sure he heard Medea squeeing at the admittedly endearing look of Arturia in a severe but fitting business suit. Arturia had remarked about feeling nostalgia, and missing Irisviel, Kiritsugu's wife.

Kneeling down, Arturia took one of her gloves off and scooped up some soil, running it between her fingers, grimacing. "I see what you mean. My Noble Phantasm should not have done this, and to my admittedly limited knowledge, the Grail should not have caused this either. I reluctantly admit Kiritsugu may have had a reason for using his Command Seals. This whole park feels…wrong." She closed her eyes. "Damnation!" she snarled. "If there is aught badly wrong with the Grail, then I shall never get my wish!"

"I'm sorry," Harry said, putting a hand gently on the King of Knights' shoulder. "What was your wish?"

The green-eyed knight shot him a look, before she shook her head. "Never mind that. If there is a taint on the Grail, one that is a threat to people, then it behoves me as a knight to expunge it. However, this is not conclusive proof."

"I'm still analysing the soil samples," Medea said, "but whatever it is defies analysis. It may be older than I, and I am from the Age of the Gods. In any case, Saber, I…" Her eyes widened. "I erected a Bounded Field earlier to warn of anyone approaching, and to deter non-Magi. A Master and their Servant are nearby." She whirled to look down the path, as did the others.

Only the Master was visible, and on first sight, she didn't seem so dangerous. True, she was eerie looking, pale-skinned, white-haired, with blood red eyes. But she seemed so cute, even in the European winter clothing, along with a Russian ushanka, all in purple. Her body couldn't have been older than maybe ten, and her smile was beatific.

But that smile held an edge of menace. And an aura of malice seemed to ooze off her. "Good evening, Big Brother," she said politely with a curtsey, her Japanese having a German accent to it. "And Harry Tohsaka, I presume?"

"Illyasviel von Einzbern, I presume?" Harry responded, taking his staff out and unfolding it.

"Illya…" Arturia murmured in horror.

"Oh? So the traitor's Servant remembers me?" Illya asked, tilting her head.

"I do. What foul things has your family done to you?" Arturia asked.

Illya shrugged, though her crimson eyes were touched with pain briefly. "I'm not going to waste time discussing such things with the likes of you. Still, allow me to introduce you to your executioner."

And with that, seemingly flowing out of the shadows themselves, a massive, hulking figure emerged. It was like a roughly-hewn stone statue of a man, all muscle, wearing a metallic kilt, and with something like a sword that seemed more like a massive flint knife. The wild hair framed brutal, bestial features, like some throwback to humanity's distant past turned into a monster. And judging by the way his eyes turned to Medea, Harry realised he recognised her. What was more, he recognised the Berserker, from Medea's memories.

" _Medea?_ " Harry asked over their link, trying and failing to keep a tremor out of his voice.

" _Yes, Harry?_ "

" _Remember when I saw your memories and mentioned that I never wanted to fight Heracles? I think the universe still has it out for me, because it decided to pull this bullshit. I mean, that is Heracles, isn't it?_ "

" _Of course. I could slap you lightly over the head for daring the universe once we're out of danger. But we need to survive long enough to get us all out of here, and using Rule Breaker on a mana-hungry Servant like that will be asking for trouble even if I could reach him, unless I just sever his contract with the girl. I'll use Atlas on him, see if we can give Arturia an opening._ "

" _Okay_ ," Harry said, before whispering to Arturia and Shirou, the former already transformed into her armour, "Saber…Caster will use a certain spell to immobilise Mr Steroids Overdose over there, long enough to give you an opening. If that doesn't work, pull aggro until Caster can blast him."

"Pull aggro?" Arturia asked.

"He means keep his attention, Saber," Shirou said. "What do I do?"

"Stay out of the firing line. Or Project a bow and quiver if you want to feel useful," Harry said.

Shirou nodded, before murmuring, " _Trace On._ " A bow, and a number of arrows, appeared. "And what about you?"

"I'll deal with the snowflake who thinks she's a blizzard," Harry said, louder.

Illya merely smirked, plucking a pair of hairs from her head, and with a gesture, shaped them into what looked like glowing wireframe outlines of birds. "You can try. Though I have to wonder why a European claims to be part of the Tohsaka family through means other than marriage."

Harry, Medea, and Arturia looked at each other, before they said, simultaneously, " _Shenanigans._ "

Then, all hell broke loose. Heracles began to glow red from within, emitting a noise that wasn't so much a roar as something like a natural disaster given voice, like an avalanche or a tornado. As he charged, Medea snarled, " _Atlas._ " The behemoth stumbled underneath the dome of frozen space, and Arturia charged forward. At the last minute, Medea released Atlas, allowing Arturia to slash at Heracles, Excalibur biting deep into his neck, not decapitating him, but giving him a fatal wound.

However, any elation at an apparently quick victory was shattered when Arturia, noticing something, leapt back, yelling in warning, "Caster!" Medea instantly took to the skies, her cloak splayed out like the wings of a bat. Arturia dived away as the wound closed up and the beast attacked once more.

"A resurrection ability that kicks in when he has been slain," Medea muttered.

"Of course," Illya chirped with a vicious smirk. "This is Heracles, and he's unstoppable!"

"Heracles…twelve lives to match his Twelve Labours, perhaps?" Medea mused. "Troublesome beyond belief, but not unstoppable."

Heracles leapt into the air to attack Medea, but as surprisingly agile as the Berserker was, Medea was considerably more agile in the air, and smacked him out of the sky with a quick blast from Rain of Light. As he landed, he dodged to avoid one of Arturia's attacks. Illya's cheers rent the air. "Go get 'em, Berserker!"

" _Accio!_ " Harry yelled, pointing his staff at Illya, and causing the Homunculus to fly through the air with an undignified yelp. The birds promptly attacked, so Harry had to dive out of the way of the beams of energy they fired. A Gandr curse annihilated one, and Shirou's Projected arrow surprisingly skewered the other, pinning it to a tree.

Illya got to her feet, brushing her clothes down. "How rude," she pouted.

"So's trying to kill my friends," Harry retorted. "Call off your mad dog, shrimp, or I'll find a way to remove your Command Seals."

"I'd like to see you try," Illya said with a vicious smirk. "And _shrimp?_ Seriously, can't you think up a better insult than that?"

"I dunno, but then again, you're the best the von Einzberns could scrounge up, given all the Homunculi they could manufacture?"

Illya scowled. "Yes. How does it feel, Tohsaka?" She plucked a couple of more hairs, and turned them into iridescent wireframe birds once more. "How does it feel, knowing that a Magus better than a Tohsaka can be manufactured(1)?"

As the birds attacked, Harry Apparated behind Illya, and swatted the birds with his staff like cricket balls (with a snarl of ' _Howzat?!_ '), before sending Illya sprawling to the ground with a Gandr, shaking her head to clear it. "Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my _kicking your arse_ ," Harry snarked. Then, he cast an Incarcerous to wrap her in ropes. "I should feel bad about doing this to a little kid, but one, you're trying to kill us, and two, you're actually much older than you look. Actually, I do feel sorry for you. Your family sent you here to die. Now, which arm are your Command Seals? I'll just chop it off and let you live."

Illya sneered at him. "Who said I had the Command Seals only in my arm? _They're throughout my body._ " She looked up, and called out, "Berserker? A little help?"

The beast bellowed, and charged over, charging past Arturia. Shirou, stupidly, tried to put himself between Harry and Heracles, exchanging the bow and arrows for a sword, only to be batted out of the way. Harry was forced to dive out of the way, and dashed over to Shirou. Thankfully, the redhead hadn't been struck by Heracles' sword, but he was clutching his ribs and groaning in agony. " _Medea, we'd better be prepared to get the fuck out of here_ ," he sent over their link.

Sending back an acknowledgement, Medea teleported next to him, and Arturia was standing guard near them, staying protectively by her Master. Heracles, however, was merely untying Illya, surprisingly dextrous despite his insanity. He then helped Illya to her feet. "Well, that was interesting," Illya remarked, as if discussing the weather.

"You little brat," Harry snarled. "Shirou had nothing to do with what your father did, and Saber was forced to destroy the Grail. And you stand there thinking that murder is a game you're playing with your pet monster? Look around you! This park is all that remains of a good chunk of the city after your father ordered Saber to destroy the Grail! Knowing what your family's done in the past, who's to say they haven't booby-trapped the Grail?! Just to spite anyone who claims it other than them? How many innocent people suffered because your family are a bunch of self-centred _twats?!_ "

" _KIRITSUGU EMIYA BETRAYED ME!_ " Illya screamed in rage. " _MY FATHER_ _ **ABANDONED**_ _ME!_ " But her fury gave way to sorrow, her crimson eyes glistening with tears. "At least my family was there for me," she said, in a voice thick with emotion. And Harry saw the true Illya. The loneliness and sorrow within her eyes. The hopelessness. Harry found himself…well, not regretting his anger, but he realised he truly pitied Illya in this moment. And that her last sentence seemed to be a lie to herself as well as to others.

"Who are you trying to convince, Illyasviel?" Arturia asked, her own expression solemn. "You are the only person he would not have betrayed willingly, child. If I know one immutable good point to your father, it was that. Your mother and yourself were perhaps the only people he was capable of loving. Take your fury out on me: as a knight and a king, I would willingly bear it." She then raised Excalibur, the invisible point of the sword pointing at Illya and Heracles. "But threaten Shirou at your peril."

Illya wiped her sleeve across her eyes, and her mask settled back into place, but askew. "I see. So that's how it is. I don't think I want to play anymore tonight. Let's go, Berserker."

The massive giant nodded, and the two walked off into the darkness. Arturia kept an eye on them both, while Harry and Medea hastened to help Shirou, who had passed out. However, as Medea prepared to heal the redhead, she frowned. "This is odd."

"What is?" Harry asked, just as he was about to call for Fawkes. "Is he going to be all right?"

"Yes. Indeed, his body is healing at an accelerated rate," Medea said. "Healing magic will help, but…I thought him incapable of using healing magic, and I would have known if he was a Dead Apostle. Wait a moment…" She cast a spell, and then, after a moment, laughed in disbelief. "I don't believe this! He has a Noble Phantasm within him! That's what's healing him! I won't extract it from him while it is healing him, but I can generate an image of it."

Arturia frowned, and turned away, the threat of Illya and Heracles gone for now, her armour changing back to the suit she wore. Then, when she saw the image Medea projected, she gasped in recognition.

Harry had to admit, what he saw was beautiful. It was a wedge of gold with blue patterns and eldritch writing, the writing of the Fae. But Arturia actually recognised it. "Avalon," she murmured quietly. "Kiritsugu must have given it to Shirou."

"Avalon?" Harry asked.

"The sheath of my blade, and one of my Noble Phantasms," Arturia explained. "It has potent healing magic. Kiritsugu used it as a catalyst to summon me, but I never found out where it went. It seems that he used the sheath on Shirou. If he found Shirou in the aftermath of the fire, maybe he used it to heal him."

"Even so, we'd better take him back home ASAP," Harry said. "The next time we fight her, we'll have to make sure we have Rin and Archer along as well at the very least. And make sure this idiot doesn't try something like that again. Jeez, he would have gone into Gryffindor like a shot, Hufflepuff at the outside."

On Arturia's puzzled frown, Medea said, "He refers to his schooling."

"I see. Well, let us away from here."

Harry held out his hand, which Arturia took, Medea pressing Shirou's hand and her own to the other hand. "Incidentally, Arturia, have you ever wondered what it's like to be toothpaste squeezed from a tube?"

"Wait, what?" Arturia asked, shortly before they disappeared with a sharp crack, leaving the dark park in silence once more…

 **CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Harry, Medea, Shirou and Arturia have just survived their first clash against Illya and Berserker. But what next? Well, Harry will have an unexpected encounter with Illya that will leave them both moved, and shaken…**

 **Review-answering time! A lot of people were speculating as to who Assassin is. While you'll get a lot of clues in the next chapter, I'm going to say that it IS a Death Eater. Which one, well, you'll have to wait and see.**

 **NecrorexSparda Juubi-n-Kishin** **: Hmm, good choices, but I'd also like to add as possible Berserkers a Dalek (imagine a Dalek at the level of a Heroic Spirit…*shudder*), Samuel Vimes from the Discworld books (and if you don't believe me, read** ** _Thud!_** **), Yang Xiao-Long, Nora Valkyrie and Hazel Rainart from** ** _RWBY_** **, Caboose and the Meta from** ** _Red vs Blue_** **, Broly from** ** _Dragonball Z_** **, Bane from Batman, Liquid Snake, Vulcan Raven, even Raiden from** ** _Metal Gear Solid_** **…the list is potentially endless.**

 **StarkillerRicardos** **: Shinji will get his fairly soon.**

 **The Shadows Mistress** **: We'll explore that later, but yes, he is descended, albeit through blood adoption, to the Arturia of the Potterverse through Lily. I'm not the first to do this either: I know sakurademonalchemist did so for** ** _Golden Queen_** **.**

 **Leicontis** **: It's actually closer to Solid Snake's sneaking suits, so more of a greyish-blue. He wears it under his clothing anyway. So no, no Might Guy-style shenanigans…**

 **Fenrir of the North** **: Who knows? For now, it's strictly Harry/Medea…**

 **1\. Harry and Illya's lines are based on similar lines Rin and Illya exchange in BlazingAzureCrow's** ** _Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Abridged_** **. Illya's comeback is such a great line, I had to include it, even if it was changed. Though Harry likes to get in the last word…**


	18. Chapter 16: The Playground

**CHAPTER 16:**

 **THE PLAYGROUND**

Harry stayed at the Emiya household overnight, contacting Rin via phone and promising a full debriefing later, much to her annoyance. Medea and Arturia stood vigil over Shirou, until early the next morning (Harry not failing to notice the odd glances Medea shot Arturia, as if she had this odd desire to use the King of Knights as a dress-up doll). And when Shirou woke up, Harry chewed him out.

"Berserker is debatably the strongest class in terms of raw strength," Harry said coldly. "I am as good at getting out of shitty situations as I am getting into them. You already saw I could Apparate, and Caster could have teleported me out of there. I appreciate you trying to protect me, Shirou, but to a Berserker, you're a mere pebble on the road, and sacrificing your life to stop him was utterly pointless." As Shirou gained a look on his face that was partly stubborn, and partly contrite, Harry softened a little, before saying, "Still, taking out one of those damned familiars of hers with a Projected bow and arrow is still pretty damned good. At the very least, act as fire support, not as a human shield."

"You're wasting your time, I daresay," Medea remarked. "He's got an even worse martyrdom complex than you do. And given Arturia's Noble Phantasm within him…"

"Wait, what?!" Shirou yelped.

"You've got Avalon within you, the sheath of Excalibur. And it gives you a healing factor for virtually anything except, well, your head being destroyed," Harry said. "It must've acted as a catalyst for you to summon Arturia as Saber. But it would have limits. Anyway, we need to discuss a few things. Firstly, Caster, why didn't you use your magecraft as often last night?"

Medea wasn't offended by the question. "I could have hit Arturia, and while technically she is our opponent, it is bad form to get an ally caught up in an attack. However, the thought that the Illya girl has Command Seals throughout her body is troubling. We can't simply chop a limb off. How the von Einzberns got their hands on so many, I do not know. Maybe they shaped her magic circuits into them. It would explain how she is able to control him. She'd have to be one of the most powerful Magi alive to be able to fuel such a juggernaut." Then, she added, over their mental link, " _Still, I feel confident enough, after seeing her own combat style, that I can use Rule Breaker on her. We then just need to wait out Berserker's mana reserves…or wear him down._ "

Harry nodded. "Okay. Still, I doubt that she'll make another move until tonight. I had Caster map out the surrounds of the von Einzbern castle on the outskirts of the city earlier, just in case. There's a lot of Bounded Fields, though. However, for the time being, our priority should be the sigils at the school. Given that the sigils regenerate, all we can do is flush out the enemy Master."

"Umm, question? How are we going to explain this to Big Sis Fuji and Sakura?" Shirou asked, putting up a hand.

"Sakura's already aware that Caster is a Servant, so that's not the problem," Harry said. "I'll explain the situation to her, once I confirm a couple of things. Taiga's another matter. We'll state a version of the truth. Arturia is an old associate of Kiritsugu's. She came here to act as your bodyguard as he made some enemies during his prior work, and they're gunning for you. We need a pseudonym, but I think that'll work." Then, an impish smile came across his features. Time for some classic misdirection…

* * *

Arturia found the first name of his suggested alias somewhat irritating, and had explained why: the Caster of the previous Grail War had mistaken her for the very person he was giving her the name of. Which made it all the more funnier for Harry, the previous Caster's tendency towards serial murder aside.

So Arturia Pendragon was introduced to Taiga as Joan Flamel. She had known Kiritsugu and his associates some years ago, and was actually a bodyguard, despite her young age. Harry asked Taiga to help with smoothing over any details for a transfer.

Now, Taiga's reaction was somewhat mixed. She wasn't sure she approved of having a girl of Shirou's age (at least in appearance) in the same house as him, and she was a bit clueless as to Kiritsugu's true profession, but even the oblivious English teacher did have an idea that Kiritsugu moved in some dark circles. She decided to test Arturia in the training dojo of the house after breakfast. Sakura looked a bit morose (hell, even before she saw Arturia, she seemed more morose than usual), though. While Taiga went off to duel Arturia, Shirou joining them, Medea and Harry spoke to Sakura.

Harry noted that she seemed somewhat skittish. "Sakura…can I see your hand?"

Sakura hesitated only a moment, before showing her hand, the one with the markings that, to the untrained eye, could have been bruises, but in truth, were faded Command Seals. " _It seems that she is indeed the Master of Rider…except these Command Seals…they're not faded because Rider is dead or they have been used_ ," Medea sent via their link.

Harry sighed. "Shinji has Rider, doesn't he?" he asked quietly. Sakura's silence was telling. "Sakura…why does he have Rider? And how, for that matter?"

"…Zouken threatened your lives," Sakura whimpered quietly. "I resisted the pain he put me through…but he threatened Shirou, and you. I did tell Rider to keep you safe. I…I…"

Harry gently drew his sister into a hug. He'd be more upset, but Zouken still had a hold over the girl, and he couldn't blame her. Zouken may not be out to conquer the world like Voldemort, but he was more insidious, especially towards this girl he adopted. At the very least, Harry could blame part of it on Sakura's broken psyche. Though Zouken not attacking the Tohsakas or Shirou was sure to be a lie. "Sakura…did you know that your Rider has probably placed sigils around the school? Ones that will convert those present into mana?"

Sakura shook her head vehemently. "Shinji must've ordered her to do that himself. Caster, how much longer will that ritual be?"

"A couple of days at the soonest," Medea said. "I can't prepare it any faster. But soon, Zouken will be a moot point. We'll free you, and the world, from him forever…"

* * *

After some discussion, Medea, albeit Astralized, decided to accompany Shirou, Arturia, Rin and Archer to school to remove the sigils. Harry would be left by himself, but if need be, he could Apparate to get out of danger, or use a Portkey, or Fawkes. Besides, fighting during the daytime was tricky for Servants, if only because of the possibility of exposure.

He was going out shopping to get groceries for Rin when he saw her, sitting on a swing in a playground morosely. The glee and joy from last night was gone. It was a look of pensive sorrow that had no right being on the face of a child, though Harry knew Illya was much older.

After a moment's hesitation, he set up a Notice Me Not and a Muggle Repelling charm, and approached her. It'd look strange for a young man to approach a girl not even in her teens (in appearance, anyway), unless a familial relation was clear. She didn't look up as he approached, and while he wasn't making an especial effort to be noticed, he wasn't exactly being stealthy. She didn't seem to react until he sat down on the swing next to her. Softly, he said, "Hey."

She didn't bother looking at him. She just sat there looking miserable. After a moment's uncomfortable silence, he said, "I'm not here to fight at the moment, if that's what you're worried about. The magecraft I used will stop people from seeing it if we do come to blows. I'm guessing you left Heracles behind, right?"

Eventually, Illya nodded. She began kicking her legs to and fro, swinging rather pathetically. "I can call him to my side at a moment's notice, so don't get any funny ideas."

"I wouldn't dare. But you shouldn't either. I'm full of tricks." Harry looked up and the sky. "I know how you feel, more than you'd know," he said quietly. "Long story short, I was adopted by a family from another world. They were murdered by a Magus terrorist when I was only one. My so-called family treated me like a servant, and I never knew that I was famous for surviving this terrorist's attack. Then, suddenly, I found out I had magic, that I was famous…and yet, I still had few friends. I know what it's like to feel lonely. To feel abandoned. To feel betrayed."

Once more, silence fell between them, though it was Illya, this time, who eventually broke it. "Tohsaka…what's my brother like?"

"An idiot. Oh, he's a good guy, but…he can't think of putting himself before others to any degree. He didn't even know about your father's true profession until I told him. Kiritsugu saved his life from the Fuyuki Fire. I actually spoke to him this morning, asking him whether your father went on any trips overseas, and apparently Kiritsugu would leave Fuyuki for months at a time. He even found out that he went to Germany on one of those occasions. Maybe he did want to come back for you…and your family wouldn't let him."

Illya didn't dignify that with a response. Harry guessed she was busy digesting the information. Then, after a moment, he got off the swing, and went behind her own, before he began pushing her. "H-Hey! What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"Pushing you. That's what you do on a swing. The adult pushes the kid so that they can go higher." And Harry continued to push the albino girl on the swing.

After the initial shock, she seemed to enjoy it. She squealed in childish delight, yelping, "Higher! Higher!" And he obliged.

Eventually, though, she tired of it, and after he stopped pushing her, she allowed the swing to come to a halt, and then hopped off it, giggling a little. There was such a smile of sheer, genuine happiness that Harry found himself touched. It was yet another reminder that, for all her earlier bloodthirstiness, Illya was still very human, a young woman trapped within the body of a little girl.

Then, as she peered at him, her face fell a little. "You look a little like Daddy did," she said quietly. "You have the same tired, sad eyes he'd sometimes get. And yet, you have the same eyes as Saber."

"You're the second person to note that," Harry said. "Illya…you don't have to try to kill Shirou. He'd be more than willing to share stories about your father. Hell, he's too nice to hold much of a grudge, even after last night. Your father was ill. He died five years ago, maybe from a curse he got during the Grail War. Just keep in mind, Illya…if you try to kill my family and friends again…I'll stop you, even kill you if I have to. I really don't want to, you're more filled with hurt and pain than I thought before…but I value my family and friends, what there is left of them."

Illya smiled at him. It was a somewhat sad smile, as if she acknowledged that it would probably come to such a brutal, bloody ending. "…I don't have anything left," she said quietly. "Only the task my family has given me." The resignation and sorrow in her voice was palpable. In a way, Harry realised a mask had slipped, showing a girl who knew she was going to die, though he didn't know why.

"They sent you here to die, didn't they? Like a lamb to the slaughter," Harry asked quietly. And judging by the shock on her face, he had hit pretty close to the mark. A sudden feeling of rage welled up inside him, and he Reinforced his own fist in time to slam it into the frame of the swing, denting it badly as he screamed in fury.

"Another one!" he screamed at the sky. " ** _Another_** child robbed of a fucking childhood because of a magical war! **_Another_** child shaped into a fucking weapon! I'll bet it's another bearded old goat obsessed with his goals, and damn the people who get hurt in the process!"

* * *

In the von Einzbern Castle in Germany, the golem known as Jubstacheit von Einzbern sneezed suddenly, and blinked. Given that he was an ancient golem made for administering the von Einzbern family, he shouldn't be capable of sneezing or catching a cold. Still, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He had this unusual feeling that he had incurred the wrath of someone who made the Magus Killer's wrath pale by comparison. And why did he feel like his beard was insulted?

* * *

After enough venting to test the capabilities of the charms he had set up, and using a _Reparo_ on the swing set, he sighed. "Sorry about that. I just get pissed when I hear things that remind me of my old home."

Illya, surprisingly, wasn't intimidated. In fact, she was giving him a sympathetic, albeit sad smile. "That's fine. Sometimes I want to smash things too." She looked down at her hands ruefully. "You know something of the truth about me, how I'm half-Homunculus…and I was altered to win this war. But…I can't grow up. I never will. This is the first time I've ever been outside our family's castle in Germany. The most I had was my father's souvenirs and photos…and most of those were taken from me when he betrayed us." Suddenly, she looked away, as if she could hear something, and then said, "Berserker's awake now. And I'm sure my guardians will be looking for me. I'm sorry, Harry Tohsaka…it was nice to talk to you." As she walked away, she flashed him that sad smile. "And tell Shirou…I would like to talk about my father some time…"

* * *

Unbeknownst to them both, eyes were watching them. Eyes glinting from behind a skull mask, even if it wasn't visible. The wearer of the mask gritted his teeth in a hateful snarl as his eyes watched Harry Potter leave. That face, those eyes…they were a reminder of what he could never have. Save, perhaps, through the power of the Grail.

Still, even if he didn't have the Grail yet, the Grail had granted him one thing first: an opportunity to kill the boy who was a bane on his existence. A perpetual reminder of his failings.

But he couldn't go after him yet. His Master wanted him kept alive first, to witness the end of his friends and family, to have him **_suffer_**. And he could get behind that. The only enemy Masters left at the end of the Grail War would be Potter and the Sakura girl…and that the girl would be alive was only because that worm of a Master of his had plans for the latter.

His Master had been watching the battle between the three Servants in the park last night, through those damned insects of his. And knowing the identities of at least one Servant was handy: Heracles. The stupid albino brat had shouted it loudly enough, confident that her Servant was invulnerable.

Nothing was invulnerable. Nothing was forever. Save for the life Assassin intended to live with the one he loved. The whole world could be destroyed, as long as the one he loved would be his for eternity. Nothing else mattered. **_Nothing_**. And **_nobody_** …

 **CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh dear. Harry and Illya may be getting along, but Assassin is plotting something. And how the fuck does he know Harry? I'm sure many of you will be guessing who he is. Yes, we have an Assassin from the Potterverse. Other than that…wait and see…**

 **Incidentally, this may be the last chapter for a while. While I have the next chapter already written, it ends on a cliffhanger, and I want to get the chapter after that resolved before I post it.**

 **Review-answering time!** **The Shadows Mistress** **: Yeah. I don't like bashing Arturia, so I generally have people leaping to her defence for her wish during the Grail Dialogue in my crossovers with** ** _Fate/Zero_** **, by pointing out that she wants to correct her mistakes, and make sure her allies don't die in the first place. Arturia just needs a little modification in her attitude to being a king.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	19. Chapter 17: The Foe from the Future

**CHAPTER 17:**

 **THE FOE FROM THE FUTURE(** **1)**

It was after school, and Medea and Archer were going around destroying some of the sigils, while Rin, Shirou and Arturia did the same. As she analysed the one on the rooftop, Medea remarked, "Now that we're alone, I wanted to ask you some things. You see, I've been paying attention to you ever since you were summoned. When I first appeared, I noticed that you recognised me instantly. Indeed, you haven't really let your guard up around me since. I don't recognise you, though. I am sure I would have recognised a contemporary of mine. You have a good poker face, I will admit, but I am also a good reader of people."

Archer kept up his slight scowl. "If you're fishing for information, I doubt you're going to get it from me."

"Not directly, no," Medea said. "But I do know that you were, at the very least, stretching the truth when you claimed to have little memory of your life. You're an Archer, but one who is ridiculously skilled at swordplay, Projecting weapons that could even be copies of Noble Phantasms. Definitely a Magus of some sort in life. And don't think I haven't noticed the little glances you've been shooting Shirou Emiya. If I didn't know better, I'd say you'd want him dead."

"And you don't?" Archer asked. "He's an enemy Master."

"He is also a friend of my Master, and yours," Medea pointed out. "There are many ways to deal with him that don't involve his demise."

"And why do you care?"

"My Master cares. He may be sentimental, but I find him to be agreeable. He knows of my true identity, and doesn't hate me for it. He is wary, and understandably, but he trusts me more than many have." Deciding she wouldn't get anything more from him, she said, "What do you make of this? I want an honest opinion."

"Only that it's trouble," Archer said, walking over and peering at the sigil. "Noble Phantasms are."

"Hmmph. Well, I agree with you on that much if nothing else, but I'm beginning to feel a sense of foreboding," Medea said. "I am almost certain that the Servant who planted it comes from Greece or the Mediterranean near Greece."

"So why aren't you destroying it?" Archer asked.

"Why destroy it when you can exploit it?" Medea countered. "If this works to convert people into mana and drain that mana into a Servant, then there must, logically, be a link to that very Servant, even when they are Astralized. In modern terms, it is like tracing a phone call. Most Servants wouldn't be capable of such a thing…but I am a Caster."

Archer, after a moment, nodded approvingly. "Good idea. Can you do it without the Noble Phantasm being active?"

"Of course. The link is active all the time, even when the Noble Phantasm isn't," Medea said. "Tracing it is still not easy, but…" She grinned, pulling out her viewing crystal. She peered into it, only to grimace when she saw the image displayed. "Archer, Rider's stalking one of the students nearby."

Archer looked at the image, and then dashed over to the fence surrounding the roof. "I see her."

Medea followed, and watched as Rider Deastralized, preparing to pounce. She frowned as she considered Rider. The Servant was a buxom young woman in a daringly short black and purple dress that seemed vaguely toga-like, furthering the impression that she may have come from Greek myth, though the accessories seemed to tie into modern BDSM motifs. Her hair was a vivid purple, her forehead marred by an occult symbol Medea found familiar, and her eyes were covered by a strange, rigid-looking blindfold. A blindfold that Medea realised, with a thrill of horror, was in all likelihood a Mystic Eyes restraint.

And she now had a good idea of who Rider was.

"Distract her! I'll get the student away and deal with her memories!" Medea snapped.

She half-expected some backchat from her fellow Servant, but he merely leapt over the fence, and landed behind Rider. The noise had the student turn, and scream in fright. Medea teleported behind her, and gently cast a spell on her, making her fall asleep for now, dragging her to cover. "I have to wonder what has driven you to do this," Medea remarked as the Rider Servant watched them warily (insomuch as a blindfolded woman could be said to be 'watching'). "Is it a lack of mana supply, or a lack of scruples?"

Rider scoffed quietly. "The former, though my Master certainly lacks scruples."

"You mean your little stand-in Master…I presume it's some blue-haired oik with an ego in inverse proportion to his magecraft ability and his penis size?" Medea asked, standing up. Rider's raised eyebrow and smirk suggested Medea was on the ball. Then, she switched to Ancient Greek. " _You're the most infamous of the three who inhabited the Shapeless Isle, aren't you?_ "

The look of surprise on Rider's face made it clear that Medea's suspicions were confirmed. This was Medusa, the most infamous of the Gorgons. In the same tongue, she replied, " _You have me at a disadvantage in that if nothing else. Are you collaborating with the Archer?_ "

" _For the time being. Though we intend to help your true Master, Sakura._ "

" _Normally, I wouldn't believe you…but Sakura has told me of you, Caster_ ," Medusa said. " _That being said, the boy who is my proxy Master is currently recalling me. He has an interesting book with him. Good luck._ " And with that, she Astralized.

Archer frowned. "You let her get away?"

"For now. It seems we were correct, Shinji Matou is the one forcing Rider to plant the sigils. We deal with him, and she goes back to her proper Master."

"And how do I know that?" Archer asked. "You could have been plotting with her when you were talking in Ancient Greek."

Medea chuckled. "It depends on who the plot is against. And don't forget, Mr Amnesiac Archer, that I haven't missed those looks you have been giving myself and Shirou. Somehow, despite our existences being millennia apart, you know us both. Now, I wonder how that could be?"

"That is none of your business."

"Oh? Then let us exchange names. I'm sure you know my name. _Say it_."

After a moment, Archer bit out, "Medea of Colchis."

Medea merely gave a sardonic smirk as she approached Archer, before she hissed, " _Atlas._ " As space froze around the tanned Servant, Medea said, "So you did know. And yet, I don't know you. Or rather…there's something about you, niggling at the back of my mind. Something very vaguely familiar about your features, and that Projection ability of yours. You're definitely not one of the Argonauts, or one of the Greek so-called heroes I knew in life. Now, as our Masters have signed a geas, I don't want to risk Harry going into a coma and my losing my mana supply by destroying you, just in case the magic interprets it that way…but I am sure there are ways to get you to talk…"

"What are you doing?!" yelled Rin as she, Shirou and Arturia burst out of the school building.

"Playing a game of 20 Questions," Medea remarked. "Archer knows who I am. He also seems to have a grudge against Shirou. I'm not letting him loose until I have an answer."

"Caster, let him loose!" Rin snapped.

"How about I give a better suggestion?" Medea asked. "Use a Command Seal on him. I want to know who he is, given that he is almost certainly lying about not knowing his true identity. If you do, I promise to give you any I happen to tear out of some imbecile later. Like Lancer's Master, for example."

"Trace On…" Shirou muttered, before forming a sabre out of the air, and then pointing it at Medea. "Caster, just let him go! We need to stop Rider and their Master!"

Medea tittered. "Oh, really, you're pointing a sword at me? Your Projection is nothing to sneeze at, Shirou, but…Projection…" She trailed off into silence as she realised the sabre he was wielding was exactly like the one Archer wielded before, one of the pair.

And then, it hit her. She looked back and forth between Shirou and Archer, a horrible, cold feeling running down her spine. Hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, all different…and yet, if you looked at some elements of the face, that Projection specialty, and…and…

Medea didn't realise she had released Atlas as she staggered back. Archer rushed forward, his own sabres at the ready, only for Arturia to intercept him. "No…no, no, no…" Medea murmured. "Of all things…"

"Archer, stop this!" Rin snarled. "Don't make me use a Command Seal!"

"You don't know who this is! This is Medea of Colchis, the Witch of Betrayal!" Archer snarled.

"And?" Medea asked, chuckling weakly and bitterly. "I wonder…when were you going to break Rin's heart by stabbing one of her friends in the back? I mean, as far as methods of suicide go, I have to admit, it's convoluted." Her chuckles became loud and bleak guffaws. "And funny! It's so hilarious! What a farce!" She straightened up, and looked Archer in the eyes, grinning viciously. "I should have considered the possibility that a Heroic Spirit could come from a time period other than the past…that we have a foe from the future! And he's just as suicidal as he used to be!"

"He's from the future?!" Shirou yelped.

"Yes. Shirou Emiya… _meet Shirou Emiya._ I must say, your looks do improve with age, even if your attitude does not." With that, Medea burst into hysterical cackles once more, like a robed hyena.

Rin did a number of double takes as she looked from Shirou to Archer, while Shirou stared dumbfounded at his future self, who didn't even seem to bother denying the accusations. Arturia stared at the future version of her Master in horror and disbelief. "Shirou…?" she whispered.

"…Saber," Archer responded, softly.

"I don't get it!" Rin snapped. "How is this possible?"

"The Throne of Heroes exists outside normal space and time, girl," Medea said with a roll of her eyes. "While there aren't as many Heroic Spirits in recent times, and doubtless there will be less in times to come, it doesn't mean they can't exist. Though your being summoned by Rin does stink of being too much of a coincidence. Was there a catalyst involved?"

After a moment, Archer reached into his mantle, and pulled out a crimson jewelled pendant. Rin recognised it, and then fished out an identical one. "The same pendant…"

"Though it didn't happen to Shirou in this timeline, I was stabbed by Lancer," Archer said. "Rin saved me by using the mana within that pendant to heal me. I wasn't lying about my memories being scrambled. Some elements of the Grail War aren't accessible to my mind. And in truth, there's a lot that has changed." He looked over at Medea. "Instead of Harry, your second Master was Souichirou Kuzuki. He's not a Magus, just a former assassin. In order to gain the mana to stay alive and gain power to fight, you started draining mana from the citizens of this city. Is it any wonder I held you in suspicion?"

Medea raised an eyebrow. "I must have been desperate…or Kuzuki must have been worth staying with."

"He saved your life, and showed you what kindness a retired, hollow killer could," Archer said with a shrug. "Make of that what you will."

"And Shirou?" Arturia asked, keeping herself interposed between Archer and Shirou. "What do you hold against him?"

Archer chuckled bitterly. "…You knew my father, Arturia. Imagine his regrets. He wanted to be a Hero of Justice, but instead, became the Magus Killer. Let's just say that, one day, I wasn't able to save everyone I could…and that was the day I started following in Kiritsugu Emiya's footsteps. Only worse." He gently reached forward with his hand, and grasped Arturia's face, a wistful look in his eyes. "I didn't realise until a long time after you were gone that I had fallen for you. I doubt you would feel the same way towards me now."

"…You want to kill me…before I end up like you?" Shirou asked.

"At the moment, I'm not so sure about that," Archer said quietly. He brushed past Arturia, and looked down at his past self. His eyes held contempt, hatred…and yet pity and hope as well. "Things are different, perhaps different enough to prevent you from becoming like me. You're in a strong relationship with Sakura, you're on good enough terms with the Tohsakas…Harry did not exist in my time, or at least he never came back to this world. Harry has been mentoring you. He knows better than any human in this world the pitfalls of being a hero. So does your Servant."

"…Archer," Rin said quietly. "Is there any information you do remember? About the Grail, or about the other Servants?"

"The Grail is indeed tainted. With what, I can't remember," Archer said. "Assassin was an irregular Servant summoned by Caster, claiming to be the Japanese swordsman Kojiro Sasaki, so we'll have to be careful. And there's other complicating factors: Lancer was stolen from his original Master. In addition, Arturia, there's an old acquaintance of yours running around after the previous Grail War: Gilgamesh of Uruk, better known as Archer."

Arturia's eyes widened in shock. "But…how can…how can that be?" the blonde knight asked, horrified.

"Indeed," Medea mused. "Surely he would have disappeared along with the Grail. It may be possible to bind a Servant as a familiar outside of a Grail War under certain circumstances, but you suggest otherwise."

"I don't remember the details, only that something from what happened ten years ago did it to him. But it is Gilgamesh. And he still lusts after you after all this time, Arturia."

"Wait, wait…" Rin said. "I thought my father summoned an Archer. Are you telling me my father's old Servant is still walking amongst the living?"

"Unfortunately. Gilgamesh is on a whole other level to most Heroic Spirits. I know you faced him yourself, Arturia. He fires Noble Phantasms from dimensional portals to his treasury, an ability called the Gate of Babylon. And Akasha help you if he decides to get serious in stopping you."

Arturia nodded morosely. "Gilgamesh boasted of defeating Iskandar, the previous Grail War's Rider, using his ultimate Noble Phantasm, Ea, the Sword of Rupture, an anti-World Noble Phantasm that was capable of destroying Iskandar's Reality Marble. Another complication to this situation. You said the Grail is tainted. Shall I never get my wish?"

Archer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Arturia. But…perhaps it's for the best. I remember what you wanted to wish for, for you to be replaced by someone more worthy of the throne, better able to protect Britain. A foolish wish. But…I'm sorry all the same."

Medea shot a look at Arturia, before she said, "Never mind that for now. We've wasted enough time on this. We need to find Rider and her Master…or rather, her proxy Master." She conjured up her viewing crystal, and peered at it.

"Caster figured out a means of tracking Rider via one of the sigils," Archer explained. "I have to admit, despite my experience with her before, I actually like Caster this time around."

"That's amazing, Caster!" Shirou enthused.

"Thank you," the Greek witch preened, before she frowned at what she saw. "Hmm, Rider seems to be in the park…she seems to be stalking someone…oh no…"

They all gathered around the viewing crystal, and saw the features of Harry as he walked along a path in the park…

* * *

Shinji grimaced as he clutched the Book of False Attendant to his chest. He had retreated with his Servant to the shitty little park where the last Grail War concluded. Those two Servants of the bloody Tohsakas had interfered when he had Rider try to harvest that little tart's soul for mana.

But now, as he peeked out from behind a tree, he saw someone walking nearby. A very familiar someone. Dark hair, green eyes, and glasses, along with that scarred forehead. He grinned. This interfering prick had prevented Shinji from taking what he wanted…no, what he was rightfully due from that little slut Sakura. Okay, the same could be said for Rin and for Shirou, but Harry Tohsaka was even more of a thorn in Shinji's side. Snooty little fuck, lording it over Shinji because he had magic and Shinji didn't.

Well, he'd show him.

 _Rider, harvest that bastard's soul for your mana_ , Shinji said.

 _My apologies, but Sakura has asked that I do not hurt him_.

Shinji sneered, activating the Command Seals on the Book of False Attendant. _I am your Master, not Sakura. By my Command Seal…I order you to consume the soul of Harry Tohsaka!_

 **CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh shit. Shit just got real. Archer has revealed his identity to the others, and Harry is about to be attacked by Medusa.**

 **Now, why doesn't Archer reveal more about what happened? Well, that's a good point, and one that should be asked about what he does in** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **canon. My theory is that his memories were genuinely scrambled to a degree (presumably by the Grail, to prevent him from doing much about it), and the rest is him concealing what he knows to further his agenda of killing Shirou.**

 **So…I'm not that far from 100K views, and this story will probably overtake** ** _Ex Umbra in Solem_** **as my most-reviewed Nasuverse story.**

 **Review-answering time! Okay, I'll be blunt. While I expected a lot of people to get who Assassin is (I used some very heavy hints, admittedly), I didn't expect the negative backlash (mostly from vitriolic anonymous reviews that I deleted). I chose that person to give a more personal struggle for Harry, and believe me, said person will have some MAJOR buffing…like super-Legilimency…or Potterverse magic turned up to Age of the Gods level.**

 **However, those who gave negative comments seem to fail to understand one VERY simple precept. YOU are not the authors of this fic. YOU have little say in how it goes, if at all.** ** _I am the author of this work, not YOU_** **. It is NOT difficult to understand this concept, and the fact that this seems to be the case adds insult to injury. I have stated time and time before, if you don't like it, don't read it, and don't leave a review. I write on my own terms, not yours, and if you don't like it, then get out of here, and don't let the door hit you on your arses on the way out. This especially goes for guest reviewers and those who make accounts, but don't write anything. Or can't.**

 **Right, rant over. Now, onto the people who** ** _deserve_** **answering.**

 **AznPuffyHair** **: Well, it's stated in Nasuverse material that most of the von Einzberns are Homunculi anyway. And yes, Harry went with Joan instead of Jeanne because he's British. Then again, so's Arturia.**

 **KaiserDragon** **: I will consider your idea about how Illya will live past the Grail War, for once. But please stop spamming suggestions every time you and your…** ** _friends_** **post reviews. Assuming they're not sockpuppets.**

 **1.** ** _The Foe from the Future_** **is a name of a** ** _Doctor Who_** **story by Robert Banks Stewart, originally meant for Tom Baker's tenure as the Doctor. The story fell through, and elements of the story were re-used for Robert Holmes' story** ** _The Talons of Weng-Chiang_** **, though** ** _The Foe from the Future_** **was eventually adapted for the Big Finish audios, and the differences are as telling as the similarities.**


	20. Chapter 18: The End of Shinji Matou

**CHAPTER 18:**

 **THE END OF SHINJI MATOU**

Harry was walking through the park, intending to head to the school to help the others, when he heard Medea's voice in his head. " _Harry! Listen to me very carefully. You're being stalked by Rider. I'm almost certain that she is Medusa of the Gorgons._ "

Harry stilled. " _How do you know?_ "

" _Educated guess. I managed to keep tabs on her through a link to her Noble Phantasm. Get out of there now!_ "

Before Harry could Apparate, though, his instincts screamed at him, and he leapt to the side, in time to dodge something very sharp and pointy, on the end of chains. It looked more like an oversized nail than a dagger. "Hey, watch it!" he snapped. "You could poke someone's eye out with that thing!"

The softest of chuckles, sibilant and quiet, echoed from nearby. "You have good instincts," a woman's voice said, the voice having a vaguely lyrical hiss to it.

" _I'm full of surprises_ ," Harry hissed in Parseltongue.

A soft gasp, and then, he heard the same voice speak in the same language. " _You speak the serpent tongue?_ "

" _As do you…Medusa_ ," Harry said.

As if in answer, the slender figure of a woman in a dark, violet-trimmed dress, stockings and gloves landed in front of him, wielding the nail-like daggers, chained together. Violet hair reached down to her ankles, and a rigid blindfold covered her eyes. " _I see…so the Caster was yours._ "

" _And your Master is Sakura, only that blue-haired shit has you under his thumb_ ," Harry responded.

" _So you know. You should also know that aforementioned proxy Master has used a Command Seal to force me to kill you. Even now, I am barely holding back the urge. I'd suggest you start running. I think Shinji will enjoy watching me drain you dry in front of him, so I will herd you to him. You'd better take the opportunity when it arises._ "

Harry got the hint, and turned and started to run, allowing Medusa to 'herd' him using her daggers. " _Medea! Where are you?_ "

" _I'm on my way!_ "

" _No, Medusa is herding me towards Shinji! Just get ready to kill the little shit if things go tits up!_ "

" _Got it!_ "

As they ran through the park, Medusa hissed, " _Sakura told me you can summon objects to you! Do it to the book in his hand! I'll leave one of your arms free! Play along!_ " With that, she tripped him up, causing him to sprawl to the ground. She was on him in a flash, pinning him beneath her, but one of his hands was still free.

Harry heard the unpleasant sound of Shinji Matou chuckling, as he walked out from behind a nearby tree. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Shinji sneered. "Looking down at me for not having any magic…well, look who's laughing now?"

"Fuck off you rapist scum," Harry snarled, not needing to act. "For what you did to Sakura, you deserve to burn in Hell."

"Oh? And who's gonna stop me? Not you. Can you feel her pinning you to the ground? Even a Servant as weak as her is far more than a match for a human."

"And what gives you the right to murder people to feed her?!"

"I am a Matou!" Shinji snarled. "Those peons should be honoured to be sacrificed for my ends! And I wouldn't think of trying to summon your pathetic Caster. I'll have Rider suck you dry the moment you try."

"You're nothing, Matou. I'm going to kill you…and your grandfather will follow you to Hell."

Shinji cackled. "Really? Pinned beneath a Servant? You should be grateful your death will come at the hands of such a beautiful woman. Nothing else to say? No famous last words?"

"Actually, I do. _Accio_ , book!"

The book leapt from Shinji's hand, and into Harry's. "INCENDIO!" he snarled, and the book was consumed by magical fire. Medusa got off Harry without being bidden, and Harry brushed his clothes down. "That's the thing about people like you, Shinji. They gloat when they think they have the upper hand. I've met my fair share of megalomaniacs and insane murderers…and you don't even make the Top Twenty. Not by a long shot, not unless it's by sheer depravity. I've been wanting to pay back the pain you caused Sakura for some time. I can't say I won't enjoy this." Harry pulled out his staff, and pointed it at the retreating Shinji, focusing on his sheer hatred and wrath towards Shinji. "CRUCIO!"

Shinji convulsed, collapsing to the ground, mouth open in a silent scream, all that was coming out of his mouth being a strangled rasp. "DO YOU FEEL THAT, SHINJI?!" Harry roared. "THIS IS ALL THE PAIN YOU PUT MY SISTER THROUGH! YOU DIDN'T JUST DO IT ON ZOUKEN'S ORDERS, YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU'RE AN ENTITLED LITTLE FUCK WITH AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX! YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU ENJOYED MAKING HER SUFFER! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE TREATED AS SCUM BY YOUR FAMILY, BY THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SHOULD PROTECT YOU!" He released the Cruciatus, and said, "What have you got to say for yourself, you miserable puddle of vomit?"

"P-P-Please d-d-don't kill me…" Shinji whimpered.

"Oh, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji…I was going to kill you the moment I learned about what you did to Sakura. The Grail War just gave me an excuse. I used to be a better man than this…but the thing is, I will do a lot to protect my sisters, and dealing with you isn't going to give my conscience so much as a pang," Harry said. He was about to continue, before a thought occurred to him, and he looked at Medusa. "Your eyes…can they petrify, but not kill?"

Medusa raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Have you ever heard of the supposed criminal execution method known as concrete shoes?"

* * *

Harry had taken Medusa and Shinji to the docks where the Mion River met the ocean, currently neglected since the previous Grail War, erecting a Privacy Charm as he did so. He remembered Waver speaking of this place, where the first major clash between Servants in the previous Grail War took place. A moment's uncertainty took him: he would actually be murdering someone, or at least very close to it. But then, he reminded himself that Shinji had set Medusa onto him, that Shinji had raped Sakura, abused her, that he was willing to sacrifice high school students to fuel Medusa, and was gloating about how they were less than him.

"He's all yours," Harry said. He stepped behind the Gorgon as she unclipped her blindfold. Shinji tried to shield himself from the gaze, only to quiver, and then freeze in place, effectively becoming a statue.

Medusa replaced the blindfold, and said, "It's done. He's alive, and aware, but he cannot move or die."

"Thank you," Harry said. "Do you want to go back to your true Master?"

Medusa nodded, turning back to Harry. "Thank you for helping Sakura. She…warned me you might do this."

"I'm dealing with Zouken next, once Caster is ready," Harry said quietly, as he levitated Shinji's body, and began floating it over to the water's edge. _I'm more like Medea than I thought_ , Harry mused to himself. _Maybe that's another reason we're so compatible_.

Once Shinji was several metres out into the water, Harry let go of the Levicorpus spell, and Shinji's petrified body dropped, and sank like a stone into the murky depths. He would be aware, at the bottom of the harbour, half-buried in silt, petrified, impotent, and alive. Even if by some fluke, he was retrieved, he would be driven mad by sensory deprivation, unable to function.

Harry didn't feel much actual regret. The thing he regretted most was not taking action against Shinji sooner…

* * *

Harry reconvened with Medea and the others (Medusa having gone back to Sakura) at Shirou's house. An air of solemnity hung over them, especially when Harry had Archer's true identity explained to him, as well as the presence of Gilgamesh. Already, the Grail War was crazy enough, why not an alternate future version of Shirou? He explained what he did to Shinji, though he kept Rider's identity secret for the time being.

As they ate their food, Harry found that Arturia's gaze kept coming back to him. "Yes?" he asked.

"Forgive me, Harry, but I need to ask you, was it necessary to subject Shinji Matou to such a cruel punishment?"

Harry closed his eyes. "Necessary, maybe not. But…Arturia…when I think of what Sakura went through at his hands…what he was willing to do to empower Rider…what would you do for your own family?"

Arturia looked away. "I do not doubt that I would have been consumed with a desire for justice, but this cruelty…"

"Arturia…I get where you're coming from. I'm a little disturbed about it myself. But I regret more than anything else not dealing with him sooner. What about with Mordred or Morgana?"

Arturia wouldn't meet his gaze. "True, I would deal with them sooner had I the opportunity…or at least with Morgana. Mordred…I wonder, could I treat her any better? I never hated her, despite her thoughts. I just did not believe her to be a suitable king. And yet, that refusal spurred her to lead a revolt."

Medea scoffed. "Our adorable King of Knights here wished to use the Grail to undo her reign in favour of another who, supposedly, would rule Britain better. How farcical."

"And how is such a wish farcical?!" Arturia demanded, glaring at Medea. "By what right, Princess of Colchis, do you have to deem such a thing farcical? You who betrayed your own family? And then the man you loved?"

"The first betrayal, _little girl_ ," Medea growled, "was caused by Aphrodite indoctrinating me! The second was Jason discarding me like trash! I loved him, Arturia Pendragon, even if that was inflicted on me by the gods, and he treated me like excrement! I may not have your magnanimity in, say, forgiving Lancelot and Guinevere for their affair, but I at least never strove to be perfect, merely worthy of a love that was treated as utterly disposable! Whereas you strove to be perfect, and failed miserably, if only because perfect is inhuman, and your subjects could not relate to that! Better to have used the Grail to give you a second chance at your reign, to correct your mistakes."

Arturia controlled herself with an effort, before she said, "Your fellow Greek was not as generous. My original wish during the previous Grail War was just that, to go back in time and relive my reign in order to correct my mistakes. But Iskandar saw that as spitting on the sacrifices of my men. He had points about how my ideal of being a king was flawed, but…"

"You wished they weren't sacrificed in the first place," Harry said softly, in sudden understanding. Arturia's emerald eyes met his own, and then she nodded.

"Wouldn't you?" Arturia asked quietly. "I know a little of your story, thanks to Shirou. Those people who died in your name…would you not rather they had lived instead?"

"Every day," Harry said, his tone low and soft. "Hell, the temptation to win the Grail is pretty big. But…even before I learned about the disturbing things around it…I thought it was a monkey's paw, something that could go wrong, knowing my luck." He shook his head. "I understand that wish. Not the one you want now. You were probably a better king than most before or since. As for Shinji…I'm sorry if I disappoint you in any way, Arturia, but…Shinji hurt my sister, hurt her repeatedly, made her suffer when he should have helped her. He wanted to kill all those people, didn't care about what happened to them. If killing him saves many people, I'd do it. I'd prefer to save people's lives rather than take them, though."

"I understand. I do not like it, as that philosophy is too close to Kiritsugu's, but I understand," Arturia said quietly. Shirou nodded in agreement.

"Incidentally, shortly after you freed Rider, her sigils were removed completely, presumably by her," Medea said. "Given her Master, Rider should not be a problem for now. Our main problems, then, are fourfold. We have Berserker and his Master, Lancer and his Master, Assassin and their Master, as well as Gilgamesh."

"Yeah," Harry said. "The way you described him, Arturia, he sounds like a Malfoy who could put his money where his mouth is."

"I do not understand the reference, but I will assume you mean someone with a gargantuan ego and sense of entitlement," Arturia said.

"That'd apply to Shinji if that was the case," Harry said. "But still…could we beat him?"

"I honestly do not know," Arturia admitted. "Gilgamesh did not take me seriously during our battle...and he was still ludicrously powerful. He makes Heracles pale by comparison."

"Yeah, speaking of which…I saw Illya earlier today while getting the shopping," Harry said. "And I've learned a couple of things…"

* * *

In a dark and dank room beneath the Matou Manor, a man toiled away at a cauldron. The door to the room opened, and the figure of Zouken Matou limped through. "Well, it seems that my useless grandson is dead after all," Zouken remarked. "Or near enough. That fool allowed Tohsaka to destroy the Book of False Attendant."

"That brat always had the devil's own luck, like that adoptive father of his," the man stirring the cauldron sneered. "And your brat should have known better than to let his guard down. He should have had that Servant tear his throat out the moment he appeared."

Zouken laughed. "Well, Shinji had the barest minimum of uses. I still have Sakura, and even if Rider has returned to her service, there is nowhere she can go now. Regardless of what tricks they have, I win. I always win in the long term. So, how is your little project coming along?"

"Rather nicely," the man stirring the cauldron said. "Creating a poison that can emulate that of a mixture of the blood of a Centaur and a Hydra is an interesting challenge, and having this as a skill of a Heroic Spirit…" An unpleasant grin appeared on the man's face, unobscured by his skull mask. "I doubt Heracles' Noble Phantasms, neither the Twelve Labours or the God Hand can stop it. This was what killed him originally, or near enough. The mixture of the blood of Nessus and the Lernaean Hydra. In myth, it was Heracles' own wife, Deianira, who gave it, unwittingly, to him via a poisoned shirt, deceived by the dying Nessus. I intend to be somewhat more direct. Given my reconnaissance of the Einzbern Castle, I can certainly do that."

Zouken cackled in sheer malicious glee. "Oh, you are a vindictive man, Assassin! I can't wait to see what you have in store for Harry Tohsaka!"

The grin on the man's face widened, framed by greasy hair, beneath a hooked nose. Pitiless black eyes, like the event horizon of a black hole, peered back at his Master with malicious mirth. "Believe me, Zouken Matou," Severus Snape, the Assassin of this Grail War, said, "he has never known the meaning of suffering like I have. But he will, rest assured he will…"

 **CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the big reveal! Well, not that many of you guys already didn't know this was coming, but still...**

 **And Harry has indulged his darker side. Let's face it, Shinji richly deserves an end like this. Okay, Harry needed to be called out a little, and Arturia is right to a degree (she probably would have preferred to run Shinji through with her sword if she was to kill him), but, well, there you go.**

 **Now that the cat's out of the bag, I'm going to mention some of Snape's skills as a Servant. He definitely has some small-ranked Independent Action (despite not being an Archer), Item Creation of a high rank (for his potions), Presence Concealment of a high rank (he's an Assassin), and Eye of the Mind (True) (due to his Occlumency and experience as a spy). He may have others, but those are the ones I'm naming for now.**

 **As for Noble Phantasms, aside from Potterverse-style magic, ramped up to Noble Phantasm levels, he has at least two. The first, and the lowest-ranking one, is the Half-Blood Prince's Potions Kit, which gives him access to ingredients not available in the Nasuverse. More highly ranked, though, is Mind-Flay, basically Super-Legilimency that allows him to attack his opponents' minds. Of course, things get troublesome when Reality Marbles get involved…**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will be a little while coming. I've written a lot for this story, like in a marathon…**

 **Review-answering time!** **Bisaster** **: That would be a hilarious harem, but I ain't doing it. I'm not sure how I'd even arrange such a thing…**

 **Dericof Diname** **: I've no idea whether there are all-Greek Servant stories. Given the sheer abundance across the various** ** _Fate_** **stories, I wouldn't be surprised (though this is due to the sheer abundance of mythic Greek heroes). And thanks to** ** _Fate/Grand Order_** **, we definitely have a Greek for every class. Hell, you could fill nearly half of them with just the Gorgons…**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: Agreed there. Casters have to be more cerebral than other classes due to their (usual) lack of physical ability. Normally, anyway: I could not call Gilles de Rais cerebral. In canon, Medea is one of the more cunning opponents, and does things on her own initiative (she's the one solely responsible for coming up with the scheme to drain people of their mana, though Souichirou doesn't care). If she was more proactive and out in the field, I would imagine she would be a bit more creative. Given how she managed to summon Assassin in canon, I would imagine that it's not wholly out of the question for her to 'hack' Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda sigils as a means of tracking her. My invention for this story, while contrived, is logical.**

 **merendinoemilianio** **: As antagonistic as Archer is, especially in the** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **route, I'd like to think that, if he thinks Shirou has a good chance of being diverted enough from the path leading to him, he'd refrain from killing him (I'm pretty sure this happens in** ** _Heaven's Feel_** **). His complexity as a character in terms of motives is why I wrote the prologue from his POV. I intend for him and Harry to have a discussion in the next chapter about the nature of heroism, now Harry knows who Archer really is.**

 **TheB** **: True, but given his actions in the various routes of** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **, I think that his claim to having his memories scrambled may be given some credit. Otherwise, he'd be more proactive to help stop Angra Mainyu.**

 **ABYSSALISKS** **: I have heard of** ** _Gold Diggers_** **, but sadly, despite knowing of it for years, have never read it. I know it's basically a science fiction series about a pair of space archaeologist sisters…one of whom is part-cheetah or something.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	21. Chapter 19: Short Change Heroes

**CHAPTER 19:**

 **SHORT CHANGE HEROES**

It was really an excuse, Harry knew. He had offered to patrol Fuyuki tonight, but with Archer instead of Medea. Medea, he made the excuse that she needed to work harder on the ritual to de-worm Sakura, especially now that Shinji was a lawn ornament on the bottom of the outlet of the Mion River. However, he told Medea the real reason over their link, and she accepted this. Rin took some more convincing, and Shirou and Arturia nearly accompanied him. He gave them a Portkey to take to his location if he called them on his phone.

Harry used Apparition to get to the roof of one of the few large buildings near Mount Enzou, sitting on the edge. Soon, Archer materialised, sitting down next to him. "You wanted to talk, didn't you?" Archer asked.

"Yeah. Merlin, Shirou, what the hell did you do to yourself?"

"The 'spray-on tan', my hair and eyes was partly due to how I used Reinforcement," Archer said. "But I'm guessing you mean how I became a Heroic Spirit. Well, the truth is, I'm not technically a Heroic Spirit, not in the standard sense of the term."

Harry looked over at Archer, who was looking pensively down at the street below. "Then what are you?"

"I can give you a clue. You asked me what I did to myself…well, I made a deal to save people I was in danger of not saving…with Alaya."

Harry's eyes widened. Alaya…the collective will of humanity, counterpart to Gaia, the consciousness of the planet. Both of which had access to one very dangerous power: the Counter-Force. Whenever a threat to the world arose that could endanger Gaia or humanity, the Counter-Force would intervene, using agents that dispatched any possible danger with extreme prejudice, often with horrendous casualties. Archer was one such agent, better known as a…

" _Counter-Guardian_ ," Harry whispered in horror. "Christ, Shirou…"

"Don't call me that," Archer said quietly. "Shirou is your friend. I am Archer."

"…How bad is it, being a Counter-Guardian?"

"…It's hell. I wanted to become a hero to stop people from crying…and yet, that's all I saw for eternity. I was even the cause of many tears. Being summoned into a Grail War, I felt, was my only chance of avoiding this fate. By killing Shirou Emiya before he has a chance to become me, by my own hand, I hoped to cause enough of a time paradox to erase myself from existence, even if only as a Counter-Guardian. But…here, at least, he has people who could potentially divert him from the path that leads to me. You don't know how much the Fuyuki Fire and Kiritsugu's ideals warped us both. Not truly. There are iterations of you on the Throne of Heroes, and while you had a self-sacrificing, even martyring nature, it was nowhere near as bad as what Shirou has. You know of the perils a hero faces. If our father knew what he did, I'm sure he would have tried to dissuade him."

"What about Rin? Sakura? Illya?"

Archer chuckled bitterly. "None of those worked out for me. Illya died a year after the Grail War, and I only learned about her relation to me shortly before she did. Sakura…I never realised how bad her home life was, and one day, she…I can't talk about it. I never even knew what she felt for me until Rin told me." He swallowed. "And Rin…well, we parted on bad terms, if only because of where my ideals were taking me. She told me to go drown in my ideals and die. And that's what happened. You see, my helping people for no apparent reason aroused suspicion and jealousy. A comrade of mine betrayed me, not out of spite but concern…and I was executed. And that's when I became a Counter-Guardian." He looked up at the stars with his silver eyes. "It's actually rather jarring to see things so different. Aside from you, there's Caster allying herself with you, Rin and Sakura being on better terms…hell, I barely knew Rin, or that she was a Magus, until the night I summoned Saber."

"And the taint on the Grail?"

"I still can't remember. But…there's a thought that scares me. I normally shouldn't be summoned to a Grail War…and yet, I was. Maybe the Grail holds a threat that requires a Counter-Guardian to deal with it. One thing I do remember is that Kirei Kotomine cannot be trusted."

"Rin and I guessed that already," Harry said. "Something about him sets me on edge. Plus, he fought against Kiritsugu Emiya. What about Lancer's Master?"

"All I remember is that the original Master, Bazett Fraga McRemitz, was found dead weeks after the Grail War ended," Archer said. "And she was missing her arm."

"Hmm…maybe I can find her. Or maybe Medea can." Harry called up Medea over their connection. " _You hear that, Medea?_ "

" _Hmm? No. Sorry, Harry, I'm currently doing what I can to expedite Sakura's worm-removal ritual. What is it?_ "

" _Archer just supplied me with the name of Lancer's original Master, Bazett Fraga McRemitz. Are you able to find her?_ "

" _Tricky, but I'll do what I can. Finding a single Magus in this city will be tricky, the proverbial needle in a haystack. Actually, Circe once made me create a spell to try and find one during my training._ " A gentle, nostalgic chuckle echoed down the link. " _And remember that needles, in those days, weren't always made of metal. Bone and ivory was more common._ "

" _Well, thanks for your help anyway, Medea. You all right? Not too lonely or anything?_ "

Another gentle chuckle down the link. " _No. Just…hurry home once you're done. While I have no doubts as to Archer's competence, I still feel ill at ease with you being out in the field with Lancer and Berserker on the loose, never mind Assassin. And Archer…learning what he is has shaken me. It was a shock I hadn't felt for a long time._ "

" _Okay. Thanks for your concern, Medea. I'll try to be back soon._ "

As he finished, Archer looked at him. "I'm still getting used to the fact that Caster's allied herself with you. I guess if she did find an understanding Master, she might be less twisted. You two seem close."

"Sort of. I just…I was wary of her, especially after seeing her memories…but I wanted to give her another chance. Plus, I thought, if she could help Sakura…"

"I see. I'm sorry, I just have little more than bad memories of her," Archer said. "I mean, I knew she and Kuzuki loved each other, but…she didn't seem to care about the people she hurt with her schemes. Maybe if she found the right person…maybe the good person she once was, before Jason, before Aphrodite, could come out. But…you do know there's a good chance she may not survive this Grail War? And even if we do succeed in dealing with the taint on the Grail, she may not last beyond that."

"One thing at a time, Archer," Harry said quietly, getting to his feet. "We deal with the most immediate threats first. Lancer, Assassin, and Gilgamesh."

Archer also got to his feet, only to freeze as his eyes focused in the distance. "Speak of the devil…Harry, I can see Lancer attacking someone. Namely, Kuzuki."

Harry frowned. The revelation that his colleague was a former assassin wasn't surprising in hindsight. The revelation that he had been Medea's Master when Archer was Shirou, and had turned a blind eye to Medea's harvesting of people's souls for mana, was perhaps more disturbing. Still, Harry decided to do something about it. "Archer, you feel up to fighting him again?"

Archer gave a sardonic grin in response. "Why not? I enjoy annoying him, given how he shoved that damned spear into my chest…"

* * *

Souichirou Kuzuki was an austere man, a man of simple tastes. He would be the first to admit that he was a hollow man, shaped by a group of assassins from a young age to become like them, ruthless and efficient. He wasn't a man of good or evil, just a weapon.

This wasn't to say that he didn't feel emotion, though it was rare that he did so. It was while he happened to look up at the stars, in contemplation as he walked home, that he saw the man in the blue spandex and wielding a rather phallic-looking crimson spear perched on a nearby building. And that was when things went wrong.

The man had tried to kill him with the spear. Kuzuki had decided to answer in kind, using his 'Snake' style to attack, grabbing the spear, and while the man had yanked it from his grasp, Kuzuki knew he had thrown the man off his game. But the way the blue-clad man moved…it was superhuman. Kuzuki had spotted the Joan girl accompanying Shirou Emiya earlier at school, and he knew that that the British girl, despite her slender frame, seemed to be a fighter. It was in the way she moved, in the way her eyes flickered around. Harry Potter also seemed to have something not dissimilar: the boy had seen combat.

In any case, the blue-clad man was wearing him down, though he could tell that the blue-clad man was enjoying himself. "You know, you're the best fight I've had since this Grail War started," he said with an Irish burr. "And considering you're just a normal guy, that's saying something. But, well, all good things come to an end. Sorry 'bout that."

Before the man could run him through, though, there was a loud _crack!_ , as if from a gun, and Potter, along with a white-haired man in red, had appeared. "Did anyone order an express delivery arse-kicking?" Potter asked.

The man in blue brought up his spear in time to block an attack from the man in red, snarling, "Oh for…it's the bloody Archer who thinks he's a Saber, and the Witch's cicisbeo."

"The what?" Potter yelped.

"He means that you're Caster's boy toy," the man in red said.

"And proud of it," Potter retorted. He noticed Kuzuki, and walked over as the two began clashing at superhuman speed. "Hey, sorry about this. Mr Kuzuki, meet Archer, who doesn't like his real name being spread around, and Lancer, whose real name is Cú Chulainn."

Cú Chulainn? The famous Irish spearman? Kuzuki watched as the irritated man tried to fight his opponent, and said the first thing that came to mind. "I did not know that they possessed spandex tracksuits in ancient Ireland," he remarked with sardonic humour. It was rare that he made such a joke, to be sure, and he delivered it without a smile on his face.

"Hey, kid, you're not supposed to hobnob with the bloody witnesses!" Cú Chulainn snarled.

"The rules state that you can leave them alive with a memory wipe, not kill them, no matter what your Master thinks. Besides, Kuzuki here knows how to keep secrets better than most." Potter's emerald eyes flickered over to meet Kuzuki's, and Kuzuki knew that Potter knew, at least in broad terms, what he once was…

* * *

Harry, however, had an idea even as he exchanged words with the Lancer Servant. " _Medea_ ," he called via their link. " _Can you use Rule Breaker on Lancer?_ "

" _I need to get close, and my mana reserves will need to be replenished more often. Do you think it's worth the risk?_ "

" _If he can help us find out who his real Master is, then yes_ ," Harry said.

"Hey, I ain't arguing with you, personally," Cú Chulainn said as Archer blocked a thrust from him. "But my Master's calling the shots, and..."

" _Atlas._ "

Both Archer and Cú Chulainn were caught under a dome of frozen space, before Medea emerged from the nearby shadows. "What the actual hell?!" Cú Chulainn snarled.

Medea approached from behind Cú Chulainn, bringing out the zig-zagging shape of Rule Breaker. "I'm probably going to regret this," she remarked, before she released Atlas…just before plunging the ritual dagger into the Lancer Servant's back.

He snarled and convulsed in pain, as the contract was severed, only for a new one to be made. As he sagged, Archer glared a little petulantly at Medea. "What?" Medea asked. "You were too close to him for me to use Atlas without it affecting you." The hooded Servant looked over at Kuzuki, who had been watching on with a vague air of bemusement, despite his usual grim stoicism. "What of him?"

"We'll deal with him later. Given what Archer told me, his silence will be easy to obtain," Harry said. "Did it work?"

Medea smirked, and removed her glove…showing a trio of Command Seals. "Now, Lancer, do I have to use one of these? Or will you play ball for now?"

Cú Chulainn, after a moment, grimaced. "I'd be more upset with you stabbing me in the back literally, but I'm getting the feeling you'll be better than my previous Master. Then again, he sets the bar pretty low, and I doubt he's going to leave things lying down. He already cut off my first Master's arm, stole the Command Seals from it. He's a monster. Though now I'm free of his Command Seals…I guess I can tell you who he is." He grinned sardonically, knowing the bombshell he was going to drop on them all. "He's that damned priest, the Overseer, Kirei Kotomine…"

 **CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh dear. Okay, we already knew this, but still…what a twist!**

 **Now, I had this notion that Kuzuki would end up fighting alongside the heroes later on in the fic, and I had the notion that he would learn of it after being attacked by a Servant, only for Harry to save him. My original thought was Assassin, but given Snape's grudge against Harry, I can't see that ending with Snape retreating, and Gilgamesh would be hard to beat, so I decided on Lancer. Which gave the opportunity for this little twist. Not that everyone on the good guys' side are going to survive the coming battles, anyway…**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	22. Chapter 20: The Truth Will Out

**CHAPTER 20:**

 **THE TRUTH WILL OUT**

Kirei Kotomine grimaced as the link with Lancer was severed. Such was the sheer shock of Lancer being attacked by Caster, he hadn't thought to use a Command Seal to get him to flee. He had been an unruly tool, but a useful one. It seemed that Kirei had erred in ordering him to attack the teacher.

And knowing Lancer, he was already divulging Kirei's identity, and what happened to Bazett.

So, how to deal with this situation? He considered his options, and he didn't like them at all. He could call upon Gilgamesh to try and deal with things, but Gilgamesh was mercurial, and tended to only obey orders when it suited him. He couldn't very well censure Harry, as Caster's Noble Phantasm was well within the rules. His father would have tutted in displeasure, but would have allowed it. Kirei found it stung, but that was more from a loss of control over a prized tool. He knew that Harry would be a major spanner in the works, but hadn't realised how much. Then again, considering what little Rin and Harry had spoken of Harry's past, it should have been considered. A child who managed to thwart an infamous magical terrorist had to have some capacity for being a fly in the ointment.

As if drawn by his thoughts, Gilgamesh appeared, drawling, "You seem troubled, Kirei. Has the director of this little farce lost control over his play?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Having lived with you for long enough, yes," Gilgamesh said.

"Lancer has been stolen from me," Kirei said. "He has been stolen by the Caster belonging to the elder Tohsaka, using a Noble Phantasm."

Gilgamesh actually had the temerity to chuckle. "So that is why you look to be in a foul mood. You got deprived of the mutt whom you were using as a toy. Either you are slipping in your dotage, Kirei, or else the prodigal Tohsaka and his Servant are more dangerous than you thought. This Caster is at least more calculating than that bug-eyed madman with designs on Saber. Still, to steal a Servant from under your aegis, especially one you had already stolen yourself, is a dangerous ability for a Servant to have. Rather too dangerous for my liking. Especially as they may find out about your controlling Lancer."

"They doubtlessly have found out already," Kirei said. "Harry Tohsaka may be quixotic and impulsive, with a flux of the tongue, but he is not a fool. That was probably the first thing he asked Lancer. Assuming Lancer hasn't already volunteered it out of spite."

"Hmm. Well, Lancer did not know your true intentions, which is something. Losing the hound's assistance will make our goals harder to accomplish, but not impossible by any means. I think we would do well to ally ourselves with the decrepit old worm for the time being. As much as I despise that disgusting worm's very existence, he will want to break the Tohsakas, and thus break the Sakura girl. However, I am also certain that the von Einzbern doll they've sent this time is the Lesser Grail, so she's also a good alternate plan."

"Why not both?" Kirei mused. "We ally ourselves with Zouken Matou in order to break his adopted daughter…and also capture the von Einzbern girl. Between yourself and Assassin, Berserker should fall quickly."

Gilgamesh grinned. "I'm in a good mood, so I will accept this plan. But how will we communicate with Matou?"

"Knowing him, he has eyes and ears in the right places," Kirei said. "And in any case, he does actually have a telephone…"

* * *

Rin stared at Harry after he related what had happened. "You're kidding," Rin said flatly. "Kirei…was behind Lancer."

"If it makes you feel any better, though I don't think it will," Harry said, "he stole Cú Chulainn from his old Master. We'll need to find some way to find her."

"Look, I can help you with that," Cú Chulainn said, folding his arms. "That damned priest told me where she was, but used a Command Seal to prevent me from helping her. He ensured she would die slowly, so hopefully, she's still alive. She's in a dilapidated house near the church." He rattled off an address, and Medea pulled out a viewing crystal to check it.

"And there's another thing," Rin said, looking over at where Kuzuki was sitting in their lounge room, drinking tea. "Why haven't you wiped his memory and taken him back home?"

"Because I thought he might be useful. Without Reinforcement, he managed to last long enough against Cú Chulainn with his abilities," Harry said. "According to Archer, he's an ex-assassin."

"And how would this man know of my prior profession?" Kuzuki asked, his hard eyes looking over to the tanned Servant.

"It's a long story, one I doubt you would believe," Archer said.

"I have just learned that a number of my students can use magic, that I have fought, allegedly, a revived version of one of Ireland's best known folk heroes, and that there is a tournament being fought between magic users occurring right now. I doubt that you could anything less believable to the mix…save for perhaps Miss Fujimura being involved. Please tell me she is not a Magus or whatever you call yourselves. I am not sure I could handle the stress."

That last part was delivered in Kuzuki's trademark deadpan tone, so it took those present a moment to realise he was being facetious, or whatever passed for facetiousness in Kuzuki's agelastic(1) mind. "Let's just say I was once one of your students and leave it at that," Archer said.

"I've found her," Medea said. "There's a fairly basic Bounded Field concealing her, strong, but once you know what you're looking for, easy enough to break. She's in a bad way. Not dead, but she's a week away at most. I'll go fetch her now." She disappeared in a swirl of robes…and soon reappeared. The woman she had cradled in her arms was in her twenties, with a boyishly short mop of red hair, dressed in a rumpled, severe suit, not unlike the one Arturia wore. A crude tourniquet was around the stump of her arm. "Harry, I'll be healing her in my Workshop. If I'm lucky, I might be able to transfer the Command Seals to her remaining arm."

"I'll come with you, Caster," Cú Chulainn said. "I don't trust you to leave my Master alone with you."

"Technically, I am your Master…but your loyalty is touching." Medea left the room, Cú Chulainn in tow.

"This is a mess, and no mistake," Rin murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Kirei still has Gilgamesh to call upon. Assassin is still an unknown quantity, and I don't know how open that von Einzbern brat is to a temporary alliance against Kirei. And he is meant to be the Church's impartial representative, and I'm not sure how we can gainsay him."

"What about bringing in Zelretch?" Harry asked.

"It might turn into a case of 'he said, she said'," Archer pointed out. "The Church and Clock Tower haven't been on the best of terms, and while the Tohsakas have a historical friendship with the Church, we can't rely on that having much weight. Keep in mind, Rin, in most countries, you're still not an adult. I'm not saying we should do nothing. Informing both Zelretch and Kirei's superiors is certainly the first step…but against a Servant, especially one like Gilgamesh, what can some Enforcers or Executors do? Only a powerful Dead Apostle or another Servant can fight a Servant."

"Dead Apostle?" Kuzuki asked.

"Vampire by another name. Long story short, the first vampires were originally aliens from the Moon seconded by the consciousness of the Earth as a sort of immune system against humanity," Harry said carelessly. "Yeah, it's insane-sounding, just roll with it. So, we call up Zelretch?"

Rin chewed her lip, before nodding. "I'll call the damned troll. You send a Patronus to Shirou and Saber. And send a Patronus to Sakura, too. We'll figure out what to do with Mr Kuzuki later."

Harry nodded, and sent the Patronus spells, and their messages. As he did so, Archer said, "What about Illya and Berserker?"

"I'll send another Patronus. Even if she doesn't believe us enough to team up against Kirei, she's at least been warned." Harry promptly did so, and then, his phone trilled. Shirou's number, he noted. He answered it. "Hello, Shirou?"

" _No, it is I_ ," Arturia said. " _Harry, is what you said true? Is the Overseer truly in possession of Gilgamesh?_ "

"Lancer said that, but he also had attacked Lancer's Master and stole her Command Seals. I have Lancer under control, or at least Medea's," Harry said.

" _Damnation…Harry, we will need to go all-out. I struggled to vanquish Gilgamesh in the previous Grail War. And Kirei Kotomine was the one Master Kiritsugu feared. I spoke to Irisviel about the martial arts he used during their battle. She and Maiya identified it as a form of Bajiquan. Even outnumbered, they may be too powerful._ "

"We're not charging in without a plan, Arturia. But we'll need to think of one soon. If Kirei was cruel enough to leave Lancer's Master to die the way he did, then he won't think twice of taking one of us hostage. And if Gilgamesh is as fixated on making you his bride as he was before…"

" _I'd rather die_ ," Arturia said coldly. " _But…if Kirei Kotomine does come after one of us…who would he go after?_ "

There was only one answer. Harry and Rin were powerful, and they had strong Servants by their side, despite the Caster class having a low physical attack rating. Shirou had Arturia by his side. "Sakura…" he hissed. "Except…I don't think Zouken would allow it. Rin told me that Kirei and Zouken despise each other."

" _The terms 'no' and 'I will not allow it' are not in Gilgamesh's lexicon, save for when he says them himself_ ," Arturia said. " _And there is the possibility that they may ally to spite you, for Zouken is as much your enemy as you are Kirei Kotomine's. Hatred of a mutual foe is a powerful unifying force._ "

"Sakura has a Portkey for in case things go sour," Harry said, remembering something. "If she feels she needs to escape, she can use the Portkey to flee to our place."

" _Hmm. Even so, that doesn't mean she may be stopped before using it, Harry. Portkeys are either automatic, or else based on a passphrase, from what you told me earlier. Did the one you gave her have a means of automatically transporting her if she was in danger?_ "

"I don't think you can arrange one like that," Harry muttered. "But you're right, if it's taken from her…shit, she's in danger…"

* * *

Sakura should have felt elated that her Servant was back by her side, but she felt apprehension. She felt some sadness towards Shinji's death, though she felt relief more than anything else. She knew that Shinji hadn't always been so bad. Had it not been for Harry's attempts at reaching out to her, she would have blamed herself for his death on some level, blamed herself for Shinji forcing himself on her, defiling her, making her feel soiled _used_ _ **filthy**_ …

She shuddered, trying to force herself to remember. She had value, _worth_ …in the eyes of her brother, and of her boyfriend. They were trying to help her…and so was her sister. God, that term felt alien to her tongue after so long of being forced to pretend otherwise, even as they tried to reconcile. Sakura couldn't forget the distantly cordial relationship (at best) that they'd had since she was sold off to the Matous, painful compared to their warm relationship they had before. It was her father's fault for doing so…and some part of Sakura blamed her mother Aoi for not protesting enough, though Sakura also knew that, in temperament, she was very much her mother's child. Quiet, gentle, demure…and more than a little passive.

It was that selling to the Matous and the subsequent infestation of Crest Worms that first had Sakura thinking that she was unworthy of love, and later events only served to solidify this notion. But…Shirou and Harry provided the first true gleams of hope, that horribly seductive emotion that may never be fulfilled. That Harry had returned Rider to her had helped that, as was Caster's ritual to remove those…abominations from within her, or at least change them into something that she wouldn't be repulsed by.

And then, the Patronus had arrived, a silvery mist in the form of a stag, and had warned her about Kirei Kotomine's duplicity and his possession of two Servants, the Lancer, and the previous Grail War's Archer, Gilgamesh of Uruk. And she knew the time had come to make her escape.

But even as she reached into her pocket, ready to activate the Portkey, she heard a silky whisper in her ear. "You don't want to do that."

And then, against her will, she extracted her hand from her pocket. Medusa materialised, only for the man behind her to say, "Order her to obey me, and only me, with your Command Seal."

Sakura, unwillingly, obeyed. And Medusa was forced into compliance, though her glare, hidden by her blindfold but evident on her exposed features, was clearly focused on the man behind Sakura. "Assassin…" she hissed. "Are you here to kill my Master?"

"Nothing so pedestrian, Gorgon," the man sneered in his nasal, resonant voice. "My Master wants her alive. And as loath as I am to be at the beck and call of another decrepit old meddler…this one has at least appealed to my instincts for revenge." The man then spoke to Sakura. "Do you feel that, Sakura Matou? What's running through your veins? I once told your worthless brother that he could bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death…if he wasn't as big a dunderhead as what it is my misfortune to teach. What you feel running through your veins is not unlike the Imperius Curse…or rather, a form of Command Seal. A potion I slipped into your food and drink. Any order I give you, you must obey until I tell you otherwise. And it lasts as long as the potion is active. A strange thing, being a Heroic Spirit. Most potions back home would only last as long as the metabolism took to break them down or flush them out…but I could tie this one to my lifeforce. You are now an extension of my will, until you die. And so are you, Gorgon."

Sakura felt herself shoved into the arms of her Servant, and looked up, scared. The man was dressed in black robes, wearing an elaborate, skull-like mask, which he took off to reveal cold, merciless features. A rather prominent nose. Pitiless black eyes. Greasy lank hair. A perpetual sneer on his lips. "It seems that Zouken Matou and Kirei Kotomine have entered into an alliance. But we needed more of an advantage, hence our need to control you both. I will make you watch, Sakura Matou, as I destroy your boyfriend, your sister, and last of all, your brother. Oh, I won't kill him. But I will leave him impotent, unable to do anything but watch as you break, and I win. Maybe I will use the Cruciatus on you and make him watch. Hmm…I think we have plenty of time to figure that out. And Potter will rue the day that he ever believed he was free of Severus Snape…"

 **CHAPTER 20 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh dear. The endgame is fast approaching. It took a while to figure out what to do with Kirei and Gilgamesh's response. And the whole thing about Snape controlling Sakura and, by extension, Medusa, was only conceived of when I decided to have Snape stop their escape. It also makes the final confrontation more exciting: three Servants against the others instead of two, even if one of them is unwilling. Plus, it stops what a few of you are claiming, that Ruler will be summoned.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Gabriel Herrol** **: Considering that Kuzuki was capable of keeping up with Arturia, albeit with help from Medea, in the** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **route, it's not too big a stretch for him to hold off a Servant without help, as long as said Servant is unfamiliar with his fighting style.**

 **merendinoemiliano** **: A coincidence to be sure, but a serendipitous one, so I'm glad you felt that way.**

 **Delta8** **: Yes, he intends to basically make Lily into his lover, whether she wants to or not.**

 **Ultimate-Zelda-Fan** **: I was actually thinking more along the lines of what happens to Dallas Genoard at the end of the first** ** _Baccano!_** **novel. He's made immortal (or at least unable to die from anything but old age), and for what he did to the Gandor Mafia family and other people, he's given the concrete shoes treatment, so he ends up drowning and dying and reviving continuously. He ends up being saved three years later, and surprisingly, becomes better than he once was.**

 **fanreader18** **: I used that in two different angles for my** ** _Fate/Zero_** **crossovers** ** _Gorgon and Thanatos_** **(a Potterverse crossover like this one), and** ** _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_** **(a** ** _Thor_** **crossover). In the former, while Tokiomi still adopts Sakura out, he does so to Harry, and in the latest chapter (yet to be finished), he meets with Sakura, and, despite being not her father anymore, gives her a paternal pep talk, albeit one touched by Magi attitudes to family. In the latter, Tokiomi, to some degree, views her as a bargaining chip, and while he does care about her and is horrified about what happened to her within the Matou family, he views her being in Loki's custody as wounding his pride, and can't help but view things through the eye of a Magus. Kiritsugu (who is admittedly more antagonistic in that story) and Risei are both disgusted for similar reasons.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: As Snape was dead, the life debt doesn't come into play.**

 **1\. Agelastic means possession no sense of humour or ability to laugh. Isaac Newton was infamous for it, being said to laugh only once, when someone asked him what possible use the world could have for Euclid.**


	23. Chapter 21: Revelations

**CHAPTER 21:**

 **REVELATIONS**

"Something's wrong," Harry muttered. "Sakura's not here yet."

"It's late at night," Kuzuki said. "Master or not, she's probably sleeping."

"During the Holy Grail War, every night is a late night, and it's not even close to midnight," Harry said. "Something is very wrong."

After a moment, Medea walked into the room, followed by Cú Chulainn and the red-haired woman, who was conscious, but looking distinctively shaky, and with a prosthetic arm, presumably conjured by Medea. "Ugh, I dunno what was in that crap you had me drink, but I haven't drunken something so vile since I was a student at Clock Tower," the redhead murmured in an Irish lilt. She looked at Harry. "I have you to thank for this?"

"Archer, Caster and I managed to get Lancer out from Kirei Kotomine's control," Harry said. "Are you Bazett?"

"Yeah, Bazett Fraga McRemitz," the woman said. "Enforcer, Master of Lancer, and pretty bloody annoyed."

On Harry and Rin's looks, Medea said, "I transferred Lancer back to his old Master, in exchange for a vow to cooperate with us to deal with Kirei Kotomine, and to investigate what is wrong with the Grail. It means less of a drain on my mana reserves, of course."

"That's all very well, Caster, but Sakura may be in trouble," Rin said. "Can you pinpoint where she is?"

"I should," Medea said. She brought out her viewing crystal, and frowned. "…Except I can't. Not at this moment. Something's concealing her. Which shouldn't be possible."

"Why is that?" Kuzuki asked.

"I'm a Magus from the Age of Gods. In layman's terms, my power and ability would surpass all but a small handful of Magi alive in this world today," Medea explained as patiently as she could, given the situation. "So whoever's doing this must be either a very powerful Magus…or a Servant. I'd put money on the latter."

"But the only Servant left is Assassin, and wouldn't it take a Caster to be able to conceal someone's whereabouts like that? I mean, an Assassin's Presence Concealment should only apply to their own person, not to anyone else, including their own Masters," Rin pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Bazett said, rubbing at her new arm. "Some Servants, while technically under one class, can show attributes of another. My Lancer, for example, can use some skills like runecraft similar to a Caster. I heard rumours that a few potential Heroic Spirits can, effectively, be a dual class. Zelretch told me of some research he did with Kaleidoscope, and came across a Holy Grail War in Romania where an Assassin Servant had many attributes of the Caster class."

"Which Assassin was that?" Harry asked, out of curiosity.

"The Assyrian empress, Semiramis," Bazett said.

"In other words, we're up a certain creek without an instrument," Harry said, trying a Point Me, and failing. Even sending Fawkes might not work, especially as Assassin might detect and promptly attack Fawkes.

"Maybe the Servant is a weak Assassin primarily, but with strong Caster attributes," Rin mused. "Or there's a Noble Phantasm involved."

"I might be able to find her with a ritual, but I don't think we have the time to spare. By the time I find out where she is, she might be dead, or worse, and…hmmm," Medea said, checking her viewing crystal. "While I can't home in on her, I can manually search the Matou household with this. It'll be tricky, especially as they'll have wards everywhere, but I may be able to do something…wait!"

At the front entrance to the mansion, they saw Sakura walking out. Her image was a little out of focus, but it was her. However, there was a figure standing next to her, and not Rider. In black robes, and with an ornate, skull-like mask. "Is that Assassin?" Rin asked. "One of the Hassan Assassins?"

"No, the mask is too ornate, and…Harry?" Medea asked, realising his eyes were wide with horrified recognition.

"…He's a Death Eater," Harry whispered in horror. "But…how? How can a Death Eater be here?"

Rin pursed her lips, knowing full well what seeing a Death Eater was doing to her twin brother. "The Throne of Heroes draws upon heroic and anti-heroic legends from across time and space. But why is he showing himself so blatantly? His Presence Concealment could make him invisible, even while Deastralized."

"He or she wants me to know who's opposing them," Harry said. Suddenly, Assassin grabbed onto Sakura's shoulder, and vanished in the distinctive method of Apparition. "Or, maybe he can't Apparate with Sakura without being in physical form." He snarled quietly, knowing that he had no way of tracking them, and thus no way of helping Sakura. He hated being so damned impotent to help her. And Assassins were pretty much the most lethal Servants towards Masters, not because of power, but because of subterfuge. The class specialised in targeting Masters. And on top of that, it was a fucking Death Eater! His past had come back to haunt him _again!_

"That must be Zouken's Servant," Rin said. "That old worm must be keeping in hiding. Caster, how long until that ritual is finished?"

"I don't know. A matter of hours, if we're lucky. Most of it is now automatically run, rather like your computer programs," Medea said. Then, there was a chime. "Ah, speaking of which…"

"Is the ritual ready?!" Harry asked eagerly.

"No. But this is on the analysis I made of the soil samples." Medea made a gesture, and parchment seemed to form itself from the very air, though the writing was the Greek of her time. She frowned, before her jaw dropped in sheer shock. "…Impossible."

"What do you mean, impossible? I can't read that, Caster, it's all Greek to me!" Rin protested.

Medea turned to face them. "…We're in very serious danger. Not just from Kotomine or Zouken Matou, but from the Grail itself, or rather, what contaminates it. According to this…the contaminants from the Grail come from an entity called Angra Mainyu, though according to this, it's also called Avenger. Like a Servant's class."

"Wait…Avenger…the von Einzberns tried to summon an Avenger class Servant," Harry said, looking at Rin. "But who or what is Angra Mainyu?"

"The devil figure in Zoroastrianism," Kuzuki said. "He's sometimes called Ahriman, in opposition to Ahura Mazda."

"But I thought the Grail couldn't summon deities?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"Demigods, cambions and fallen gods can be summoned," Medea mused. "…Then again, perhaps Avenger was once human. Still, the thought of something like Angra Mainyu in the Grail is cause for concern. Then again, Sakura's abduction is the more immediate concern. If she's unable to use the Portkey to escape…"

"She may be under the Imperius, or something similar. That'd explain why Rider didn't attack him. He must've gotten Sakura to use a Command Seal," Harry said, gritting his teeth. "If the Assassin is Zouken's, then that ritual needs to get completed ASAP. Can it purge Zouken's soul entirely, and kill him?"

"Yes. It's part of the reason the ritual was taking so long. Being thorough is part of the problem. However, power charging is part of it." Medea looked to Rin. "Rin, I need every jewel with stored mana in it that you can spare. If you're worried about depleting them, I assure you, if we survive this, I will help you replenish your stock."

"No, I'm fine…if it means a better chance of ensuring Sakura's survival, and putting paid to that old worm," Rin said, before turning to Harry. "Harry, warn Shirou and Saber that Assassin has Sakura, and that Assassin is a Death Eater. Also, make sure Shirou doesn't go charging off after Sakura. We need all the help we can get to stop Assassin and Zouken, especially if they've suborned Rider, and we can't work together if that idiot goes and gets himself killed."

"Got it…"

* * *

"No, Shirou! You have to wait until we're ready! We can't go charging off after Assassin to find Sakura if we don't know where they are in the first place!" Harry snapped into the phone. "We can't find either of them via normal magic."

" _But we can't just leave her!_ " Shirou protested. The redhead, on Harry's insistence, had put them on the speakerphone so that Arturia could contribute.

"Of course not!" Harry exclaimed. "Like I said, we need to _find_ them first. However, there's worse news to come. We've figured out the source of contamination on the Holy Grail. Arturia, the von Einzberns summoned an irregular Servant during the Third Holy Grail War: Avenger. Specifically, Angra Mainyu. According to the records, Avenger was a weak Servant who swiftly died…but given the analysis Medea has performed, I think it's fair to assume that Avenger has lingered. I'm sorry."

"… _Don't be. While I cannot be certain that this is what Kiritsugu saw in the Grail that compelled him to destroy it, I could feel the foulness in the ground of the park_ ," the Once and Future King said. " _However, dealing with the Grail will have to wait. Of immediate concern is Assassin. Harry, given that the Death Eaters were rabid xenophobes, I find it hard to believe that any of them would have truly made it to the Throne of Heroes._ "

"One man's hero is another's villain," Harry said quietly. "But you're right. I'm not sure who'd qualify for the Throne of Heroes…then again, we have Medea and Medusa, not to mention our Counter Guardian Archer. To many, Voldemort would be considered a hero, for standing against the Muggle menace. And then, there's Regulus Arcturus Black, who was a Death Eater who repented, and turned on Voldemort. And some considered Severus Snape a hero for sacrificing himself to help stop Voldemort, despite what that greasy-haired fucker did to me. Of the three of them…I guess I know about Snape most. Dunno whether Assassin is him…" Then, things started to fall into place, and a horrified look came over his face. "But it makes sense. He was a double agent, working for both Voldemort and Dumbledore. If spies made it to the Throne of Heroes, they'd be Assassins more often than not. Oh, fuck all kinds of duck."

" _So, this means we will be facing an Assassin with attributes of a Caster. And one who, if your supposition is correct, holds a strong grudge against you_ ," Arturia said.

"Strong grudge, yes. He had a strong grudge the same way that Berserker has a bad temper," Harry said. "Snape despised me thanks to my being proof that he lost the girl he loved to the man he hated…only, given that I was kidnapped and adopted, he decided to out that little secret. The problem is, he was also a very powerful and inventive wizard…especially in combat, and in potions. In fact, maybe that's how he ensnared Sakura, that he somehow managed to potion her up. Even with your Magic Resistance, it goes without saying that you should avoid any spell he sends your way, particularly the Killing Curse, and Sectumsempra." Harry sighed. "Look, we're trying our best to find Sakura. Once we find out, we'll let you know. But we go together. Arturia, tie Shirou up if you have to. Bye."

He hung up, and nearly crushed the phone in his hand, only to find a soothing, gloved hand come over his own. "Don't," Medea said quietly as she plucked the phone from his hand. "Those things are expensive, and, more importantly, healing your hand will be tricky."

"I know, it's just…my sister, Medea," he said softly. "That bastard has my sister."

"I know. I heard you speculate as to his identity. It does make sense, but we don't know for sure that Snape is Assassin," Medea said. "But there's a problem I realised. Sakura, I theorised, was being turned into the Lesser Grail by Zouken. What if he intends to use Sakura to somehow summon the Grail prematurely? He must know something about Angra Mainyu's presence, someone so intimately linked to the Grail War's creation has to know if he is creating a Lesser Grail, so either he's so arrogant that he thinks he can control Angra Mainyu…or else he doesn't care about that, as long as his own goal is reached."

"We need to warn Illya," Harry decided. "If the von Einzberns sent her here, then she may know where their Lesser Grail is. Zouken may target her for assassination." Summoning another Patronus, he spoke to it. "Illya, Zouken has kidnapped Sakura using Assassin. We believe Sakura may be Zouken's attempt at recreating the Lesser Grail. He may target you in order to prevent the Lesser Grail from being used. If you can call me on the following number, we'll discuss what to do."

The Patronus cantered off, and Medea sighed. "Will she believe us?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling that her life is in danger, Heracles or not."

"Hmm. For his manifold faults, Heracles was protective of those he deemed worthy." A faint rueful smirk touched her lips. "Actually, if Illya summoned Atalanta, that huntress would defend her to her dying breath. She always had a soft spot for children, particularly those abandoned or disenfranchised. It came from being abandoned by her own parents. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings for her to say the least, along with many who sailed with on the _Argo_. Of course, you know this, having seen my memories. But Heracles and Atalanta would defend Illya to the death."

"Yeah, speaking of which…why was Atalanta a catgirl?" Harry asked. "I mean, seriously…kitty ears. She must've had to put up with so many pussy jokes."

"Only once per person. She'd make sure they'd not happen a second time," Medea remarked. "Well, unless they liked looking like a hedgehog with arrows instead of spines."

Harry had to admit to laughing at this, but then, the phone trilled. He answered it hurriedly. "Illya, is that you?"

" _A Troll for the day as usual,_ _ **Mr Potter.**_ "

That familiar, nasal, resonant voice came from the earpiece, filled with odium and contempt…and triumph. Harry grit his teeth. He could hear something roaring in agony in the background, and realised, with a start, that it sounded like Heracles. "Snivellous…you don't even have the decency to stay dead when you should, you greasy-haired bastard."

" _And you, Mr Potter…sorry, not sorry, Mr_ _ **Tohsaka**_ _, have never quite mastered the knack of minding your tongue when speaking to your betters._ "

"Oh, I have. You never were my better, Snivellous, or else you wouldn't be resorting to taking a hostage."

" ** _Hostages_** _, plural. You see, as it happens, my Master has received a very enticing offer of an alliance. And if it means getting what I want, then I am fine with it._ "

"And what is that?"

" _What I always wanted, from the very beginning, Mr Tohsaka. What_ _ **Potter**_ _stole from me. Lily will be_ _ **mine**_ _, now and forever, as it should be, and the stain of Potter, and of you, will be wiped away in a palimpsest. Of course, should that not eventuate, then I intend to go out savouring the undeniable pleasure of_ _ **pissing on your corpse.**_ "

"I'll deny you that pleasure. I'll deny you taking my mother for your sex toy. And I will make you pay, Snivellous, not only for fucking over my life back home, but trying to do the same thing here! I'm going to get Sakura, Illya, Rider and Berserker back."

" _As the Spartans said to the Persians_ , Molon labe. _Or, come and get them, if you can. In fact, I will have to insist. We're at the von Einzbern's castle. You have…let's say half an hour to gather your…friends and Apparate here or use a Portkey. If you don't come…well, while we need either your little sister or the von Einzbern girl, we don't need both. Not as hostages…you do know that the albino brat is the von Einzberns' Lesser Grail? Of course, if you're not here on time, a certain someone will be sent over to annihilate you. Not before taking Saber to be…his wife? Concubine? Sex slave? In any case, I want to see you bring everything you can to bear against us, Mr Tohsaka. I want to see the look in your eyes when you realise that your best is not good enough, and never will be. Tick tock, Mr Tohsaka._ " Then, the phone hung up, just as a fresh paroxysm of pained bellowing came from Heracles.

"…Do we have a plan of attack?" Medea asked.

"…Yes," Harry said, all but crushing the phone again. "We **_attack_** …"

 **CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait, but inspiration had run dry. Which, frankly, is a crying shame. Still, Merry Christmas, right? Anyway, the big reveal…to Harry, anyway. And the final battle is just around the corner, and the good guys aren't going to come out of it unscathed…**

 **Anyway, some news relating to this. Firstly, as part of my Christmas Update, I have posted a new story called** ** _Knight of Betrayal and Taiga Cub_** **. It was based on two of my challenges,** ** _Taiga! Taiga!_** **and** ** _Mordred's Second Chance_** **(which itself was inspired by Dis Lexic's** ** _Awaken the Dragon_** **challenge, which I am still trying to do, even if in a variation, under the title** ** _King of His Heart_** **). Basically, it pairs Mordred (albeit an alive Mordred rather than a Heroic Spirit one, thanks to Merlin) with a Harry who has been raised by Taiga Fujimura, in an AU of** ** _Fate/Stay Night's Unlimited Blade Works_** **route.**

 **Secondly, and speaking of challenges, I've posted five different challenges relating to a Potterverse/** ** _Fate/Apocrypha_** **crossover, as well as a** ** _Hellsing Ultimate Abridged/Fate/Apocrypha_** **crossover challenge. While I intend to do at least one of these when** ** _Fate/Apocrypha_** **comes out on Blu-Ray in Australia in February (I am NOT getting Netflix just for one or two series), the challenges are there for anyone to try. As usual, they are on the forums of DZ2 and whitetigerwolf, as well as the forums of Gabriel Herrol.**

 **Akuma-Heika** **: Snape's sacrifice, even if it was for selfish reasons, was enough to get him into the Throne of Heroes.**

 **kyugan** **: I might consider doing a story where Taiga is part of a harem, but she'd have to share with at least one Heroic Spirit.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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